Five weeks into the season, Central’s Girls’ Volleyball Team has two wins and zero losses in conference. The team has already played in key tournaments such as the Benet Invitational and the Wheaton Classic Invite. They are looking for their leaders to step up to help them win upcoming matchups.

Some of those leaders are senior team captains Andrea Kopp, Emily Knuston and Allison Heil. “We voted on the team captains this year,” Heil said. “Aside from [Kopp and Knuston], Molly Schwarz is an amazing leader on and off the court. She really helps us keep a positive attitude.”

After losing to Lyons Township in the playoffs last season, the team is looking to rebound and are counting on their great teamwork.

“We have really good chemistry on our team which can be seen on the court,” said Sara Villanueva, junior.

There are several ways the team achieves this camaraderie. Before every home game, they usually bond over a meal. Their favorite restaurant is Panera Bread.

“We’ll dress the same on gameday, [but] on the court, the main way we build chemistry is through communication,” Schwarz said.

The team is confident in their ability to succeed. To create a positive attitude within the team, each player has adopted the “growth mindset”, that promotes development through hard work.

“Although the team lost, they seemed like they had everything together,” said Andrius Espinoza, a junior who watched the team’s recent loss against Waubonsie Valley High School. “One loss is just a bump in the road.”

Although the team is well into the season, the players have their biggest test still on the schedule, which is Lyons Township. They play them on Sept. 27 at home in the main gym.