Although the girl’s varsity volleyball team broke the school record for wins in the regular season, the team has had a rough start in district games, losing their first two.

The team made school history by going into district play with a winning record of 18-14. They have their sights set on making it to the playoffs, but they will have to make a turnaround soon if they are to be successful.

The team lost 0-3 against the San Marcos Rattlers and the Anderson Trojans in their first two district games.

Despite the losses, the team is determined to turn things around. Helping fuel the turnaround would be team captains Brittney Roberts and Lexi Aguilar.

Lexi said that she has been talking with teammates and coaches to help keep spirits up. She hopes to get a win against district rival Del Valle on Friday night.

“We try and be energetic the whole time,” Aguilar said.

Brittney Roberts has contributed to the cause by keeping her teammates calm and collected throughout the games. She too expects a win against Del Valle.

“I want to blow them out,” Roberts said.

The Akins Girls Volleyball team seeks to win during district play and make it to the playoffs with a winning season. Coach Amanda Thomas has high expectations about this season ending with a better outcome than most years.

“Out of all the years I’ve coached, this is, by far, the best team I’ve coached,” she said.

She said that the team has a lot of heart, passion to play, and the determination to overcome any and all obstacles in their path. She also said that her two team captains, junior Brittney Roberts and senior Lexi Aguilar, helped the team break the school’s record for wins, which was 11, and kept the team motivated throughout the season.

“I feel that me and Brittney are always talking on the court and motivating people if you see that they’re down, pull them aside and talk to them,” Aguilar said. “Most of the teammates take it really well and it’s good to see that we have a sense of (leadership) because we’ve been here since the start. Everyone knows that we’re not going to tell them something that’s not going to help them.”

Coach Thomas added that Lexi Aguilar is the most consistent hitter on offense and defense.

Roberts shows character on and off the court, Thomas said. She’s the playmaker of the team, and motivates the team when their mettle is being tested.

“I feel like last season, we were pretty solid, but we weren’t there as a team or didn’t have the right motives, our skill level wasn’t there yet,” Roberts said.

She said that she felt down about last season’s performance; however, the team’s progress has given her hope for this year’s season.

“My goal is to make it to the second round in playoffs,” Roberts said.

Senior Naisjah Rivera is another player to watch this season. Thomas said that she is very proud of who she’s become and hopes that she’ll grow more as a player.

“It was a very challenging season. Though we overcame it, we pulled together as a team and overcame all obstacles,” Rivera said.

Coach Thomas said the entire team shows a great deal of passion for the game, and the players all come together as one when things get tough.