FAIRVIEW, Ala. — This was the first full season on varsity for Fairview junior volleyball player Karlie English and she talked about what she learned from the experience and how the season went.
“Varsity is definitely more fast-paced than JV, which made it intimidating, but I’ve been very lucky to have a team that took me under their wing and really helped me adjust to it all,” English said. “I feel like our season went very good. We grew so much as a team and as individuals but having such good team chemistry really made it fun for all of us. I learned that the bond you have with your team is very important. I also learned that you can’t take these times with your teammates for granted and enjoy these moments before we all graduate.”
Karlie feels so blessed to have gotten the chance to play with an amazing group of girls and took away so much from playing with them.
“I was extremely lucky to play with them and have them all looking out for me while I was getting used to everything. They helped me with my confidence and helped make sure to keep my spirits up. They are a very good group of girls and an even better team. They taught me to keep my head up, no matter what, and to always keep pushing and working. They showed me that sometimes, you have to do things you don’t know how to do or that you’re uncomfortable with, to become a better player. They helped me to stay out of my head and to stay positive.”
Karlie learned so much from head coach Katie Ball and has shown so much improvement in her performance from her first year on JV to now.
“Coach Ball understands what it feels like to be where we are, because she was in the same spot at one point. She pushes us to be the best we can be, and she also knows how to make some things fun for us. She has taught me that hard work and putting the extra step in will help you in the long run, and that when you do the extra work and work hard for what you want, it shows up more than when you don’t,” she said. “I have seen so much improvement. I’ve learned how to better place the ball with each play and how to control the ball more during the plays. All of the improvements have come from the hard work I’ve put in during the offseason.”
Karlie has improved so much in a few areas of her game, and her time on JV has definitely helped her become the player that she is today.
“I feel like I’ve improved the most on my hitting, controlling the ball, and also being able to see where the other team is on the court. You have to know where to put the ball in order to score, so I feel like I’ve improved greatly on being able to read the other team’s defense while hitting so I can place the ball in the best spot to score,” she said. “Being on JV really helped me learn the game, how to constantly build everyone up, and to help someone if it’s needed, because if I’m doing something wrong, I would want someone to help me with it as well. I also learned how to play with a group of people that I’m going to be playing with the rest of my high school years.”
Karlie played with so amazing seniors last season and soaked up so much from them, plus she talked about the goals for this upcoming season.
“I learned that an important part of a winning team is the team’s chemistry and the bond of a team. I was blessed with a team that cared about each other and that had a great bond. They have all helped me to become a better player. They were constantly motivating me and helping me with anything I asked for that they saw I was doing that they could help me with. They taught me to always stay positive and to focus on the play that’s happening right now and how to get better each play. The most important thing I learned from the seniors is to never take the ability God gave us for granted and to play every game like it’s our last,” she said. “My personal goals for next season are to get stronger physically, mentally, and as a teammate. Some team goals are to work hard, practice hard, to always communicate with each other, stay positive, build each other up, and to always have fun playing the game we love.”
Karlie talked about a couple of role models that she looks up to in volleyball and the best advice that someone has ever given her.
“My role models are Asjia O’Neal and Madisen Skinner. They have both worked so hard for what they have achieved, and they build up their teammates. They have great energy on the floor,” she said. “The best advice that someone has ever given me is to stay strong in faith and to be confident. Having faith in God, your team, and yourself, is very important. You always have to play with confidence, even if you’re nervous, because if you make your decisions with confidence and faith, the outcome will have a better chance of being good.”
Karlie feels blessed to be a part of a special team last season, and talked about how special next year’s team will be, plus how important it is to be a role model for the younger girls that are watching her play, and what she learned the most about herself and this team.
“We knew when we could joke around, but we also knew when it was time to be serious. We could have fun, but also do what needed to be done at the same time. Everyone loves the game, and everyone wants to win. Every single girl put in a lot of work to get to where we are today,” she said. “Next season’s team is going to have a lot of talent. We are going to put in the work to be the best that we can be. Luckily, we have all played together for a couple of years, and we all know each other’s plays. We work good together, and I feel like it’s going to be a great season.”
She added,
“It’s important because I remember watching the older girls play when I was younger. I saw how they would treat each other and encourage their teammates, and it made me want to play. So being a good teammate and player, plus having a positive attitude, is very important, because that will help them become good, positive teammates. What I learned about myself is that I have to try really hard to not get down on myself. What I learned about this team is that working together and having fun makes a huge difference.”
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