Volleyball senior hoping to salvage season
Emily Bartash at the net during a 2019 season match.
By Amelia McAvoy
While most of our athletes got the chance to play their sport this fall, our volleyball and football players have missed their fall seasons due to COVID-19 regulations. This left senior members of these sports in an upsetting, uncertain position.
Emily Bartash, a senior, has been playing volleyball since her sophomore year. She had played field hockey before that, but had trouble continuing because she couldn’t find a stick long enough for her height. Still wanting to play a fall sport, she decided on volleyball because she could use her height to her advantage. She plays a middle blocker/hitter position, meaning her role is to block the other team's hits and offer quick attacks.
Volleyball has been an important part of Emily’s life for the past few years, so the news that she would lose her senior season was devastating.
“I was very disappointed. I love playing volleyball. I love the people, the coaches and I was very sad when I found out that our season would get cancelled,” she said.
Varsity volleyball coach Kelley Champagne still holds practice twice a week with respect to COVID guidelines for those who can make it, but compared to a regular, six-day-a-week season, Emily’s schedule has been very free.
She spends her newfound time mostly doing homework and working at Richardson’s Boat Yard.
All hope is not lost, though. The Maine Principal’s Association has talked about a short season for volleyball and football in February and March, between the winter and spring sports season, if the pandemic allows.
“I’m just happy that we’re getting a season. I wasn’t really sure we would be getting one, so a shorter one is still good,” she says.
With the start of winter sports being pushed back several weeks, however, time may be running out on that idea.
Whether a season is going to be possible or not, the volleyball seniors still are going to have to move on to whatever comes next for them. Saying goodbye is going to be hard for Emily and, according to her, will not be without tears. She views her volleyball team like a family. These past few years she has spent so much time with her teammates, whom she will miss dearly, along with Coach Kelley, whom she says has really helped her develop as a player.
In the years to come, Emily wishes her team good luck, and she knows they will do great. To any aspiring volleyball players, she offers this advice: “Just keep working on bettering yourself as a player. Don’t give up, just keep working hard.”
Emily plans to go to college, but says she will not be continuing her volleyball career.
While most of our athletes got the chance to play their sport this fall, our volleyball and football players have missed their fall seasons due to COVID-19 regulations. This left senior members of these sports in an upsetting, uncertain position.
Emily Bartash, a senior, has been playing volleyball since her sophomore year. She had played field hockey before that, but had trouble continuing because she couldn’t find a stick long enough for her height. Still wanting to play a fall sport, she decided on volleyball because she could use her height to her advantage. She plays a middle blocker/hitter position, meaning her role is to block the other team's hits and offer quick attacks.
Volleyball has been an important part of Emily’s life for the past few years, so the news that she would lose her senior season was devastating.
“I was very disappointed. I love playing volleyball. I love the people, the coaches and I was very sad when I found out that our season would get cancelled,” she said.
Varsity volleyball coach Kelley Champagne still holds practice twice a week with respect to COVID guidelines for those who can make it, but compared to a regular, six-day-a-week season, Emily’s schedule has been very free.
She spends her newfound time mostly doing homework and working at Richardson’s Boat Yard.
All hope is not lost, though. The Maine Principal’s Association has talked about a short season for volleyball and football in February and March, between the winter and spring sports season, if the pandemic allows.
“I’m just happy that we’re getting a season. I wasn’t really sure we would be getting one, so a shorter one is still good,” she says.
With the start of winter sports being pushed back several weeks, however, time may be running out on that idea.
Whether a season is going to be possible or not, the volleyball seniors still are going to have to move on to whatever comes next for them. Saying goodbye is going to be hard for Emily and, according to her, will not be without tears. She views her volleyball team like a family. These past few years she has spent so much time with her teammates, whom she will miss dearly, along with Coach Kelley, whom she says has really helped her develop as a player.
In the years to come, Emily wishes her team good luck, and she knows they will do great. To any aspiring volleyball players, she offers this advice: “Just keep working on bettering yourself as a player. Don’t give up, just keep working hard.”
Emily plans to go to college, but says she will not be continuing her volleyball career.