On Wednesday, Oct. 13, the Villa volleyball team crushed McDowell. They beat them in four sets. The crowd was pinked out and going wild. It was a great game with great energy. 

An imperative player on the court and a Clarion volleyball commit, Karlee Berchtold is a powerhouse when it comes to the outside hitter position. She has played volleyball since 7th grade and has loved it ever since. She also loves playing in big rivalry games. 

“I get super excited when we are about to play McDowell,” Berchtold said. “Because it is a rivalry game, it is always much more intense and important for us to win. Leading up to the game I am obviously a bit nervous, but I get so hype during.”

She also loves when there is a big crowd at games. 

“The crowds actually make me more excited and hype,” she said. “Having the Villa section there made me want to play better because they came all the way out to support us. The [McDowell] Mob didn’t affect me in a negative way; it actually affects me more positively. It makes me play better when they cheer against me. My mentality going into the game is to just have fun and play for us, not for anyone else.”

As Karlee gets ready to graduate from high school and move on to college, she is extremely excited to play for the Clarion volleyball team. 

“I knew that right when they started recruiting me that I was most likely going to go to Clarion,” she said. “I think the mentality and drive to always wanna play will be different in college. You specifically got recruited to play, and girls choose to play because they want to. The girls want to be there and want to get better. It is a different atmosphere in college than in high school.”

Villa volleyball coach Mike Resurreccion likes to focus on basics and fundamentals, which he says are often forgotten in the midst of pressure, in practices leading up to big rivalry games. 

“The team focuses on ball control, serve receive, and our rotations to prepare us for the task at hand,” Coach Resurreccion said. 

Coach also says that keeping a positive attitude himself is one of the best things he can do. He doesn’t want to bring the team’s energy down with his own attitude. 

“As a coach, a positive attitude is the key element heading into games,” he said. “If a coach is having a bad day, the team can sense it. Your attitude is reflected on how your team performs on the court.”

Coach Resurreccion also explains that he stresses energy as the most important thing in a volleyball game. 

“Volleyball is a game that relies on momentum,” he said. “If the momentum shifts away from your team, it is hard to crawl out of the hole. If the team continues to emotionally support each other and get excited, Villa is a hard team to beat.”

Coach Resurreccion has extreme faith that his girls will go far this season. 

“I was very confident in our Villa team because they continue to work hard on the court and in the weight room,” he said. “I am not a believer in talent, but I do believe in work ethic. If these girls continue to grind, the sky’s the limit.”