Rock Island Volleyball depends not just on skill level, but also the tight personal bond the teammates have with each other. Seniors Claire O’Hern Maidak and Yaretzi Jimenez are perfect examples of how this year’s leaders are working to develop those bonds on this year’s team!
Their feelings towards the upcoming season consist of tons of excitement! Claire said, ¨I feel excited for the new season. I think the team is full of positivity and great energy for the new season!¨ Claire is excited to spend time with all the girls and to get closer with everyone. She is also excited to spend her final season with her fellow seniors! Yaretzi is having mixed feelings about this year, stating, ¨I’m super excited because I think we’re pretty good this year and I believe we can beat Moline, but I am also sad because it will be my last high school season.¨
Claire has been doing lots of preparation for her 2025 volleyball season, stating, ¨Making sure I always have enough snacks on hand! I was always starving last year.” Yaretzi has been working hard over summer in preparation for her 2025 season, explaining, ¨I have been going to the gym and getting in reps by myself. I have also been going to the summer lifting to get stronger physically, but also working on bettering my mental game by doing affirmations to prepare myself for the upcoming challenges this season might present.¨ Some similarities the girls had in common were the things they were not excited about this season, as they are both not excited for morning practices and conditioning.
Claire said she makes sure she gets a good snack before her games, and also takes deep breaths to shake any stress! Claire explains the team bonding activities the group will do, stating, ¨All players got the same pink shoes, which I am super excited about because they are so cute.¨ Claire also explained some of the traditions the Varsity team takes part in. These include giving each other positive affirmations before games in the locker room such as, ¨I am strong¨ and ¨We are determined.¨ Moving on to Yaretzi, before games she usually eats a Hungry Hobo sandwich because it’s the only thing that won’t make her feel sick, and listens to music to pump herself up. Yaretzi also always uses the same hair tie every game for good luck. Both girls also love wearing things like ribbons and bows for games!
Claire says she feels great about being a senior and she feels a lot more confident, and she enjoys being a resource to the underclassmen for anything they need! Claire does not plan on playing volleyball in college, but she does plan on taking her education more seriously. Claire is really excited for her Senior Night, and she is happy to share it with people she has been playing with for so long. Claire hopes this season, she can bring a more positive role to the team and really branch out to all of the volleyball teams to show them they are together as a whole program. Yaretzi says that being a senior on the varsity team is a surreal feeling, because she has been on varsity since her sophomore year. This year, instead of her saying farewells to others, the team will be saying goodbye to her. Yaretzi plans on playing volleyball in college! She says,¨I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without volleyball.¨ Yaretzi also says she is super excited, stating, “Not only because it gives me a chance to be recognized for the amount of time and work I have put into this program, but it also has a deeper meaning than it has in my past two years on varsity!” These girls have put in so much time and dedication into this sport they deserve to be recognized!
