By Gabriella Giachin ’14 and Kristen Nachtman ’14, Staff Writers

As the Volleyball team walked up to Kanye West’s booming anthem “Clique” during the pep rally, the entire school felt the trademark energy that they bring on and off the court. Having moved up into the Colonial Division this year, the team’s intensity and competitiveness have increased along with their strength of schedule. Even though they played the role of underdog in most of their games this season, they managed much success, due in no small part to the leadership of captains Ahlia Bethea ’13 and Liz Meijer ‘14.

Despite being a junior, the team voted Meijer co-captain, a rare occurrence at Newark Academy, especially on a team with a depth of senior talent.  Her appointment as captain speaks to her leadership abilities, which come from her positive attitude, ability to motivate, and talent on the court, rather than seniority.  She embodies the valiant spirit of her team, making her the perfect captain.

Individually, the 5’8’’ setter plays for Allegro Volleyball Club, and tries to incorporate drills she learns outside of school into her practices at the Academy. She says that she has “learned a lot about Volleyball from my team outside of school, so I try to share tips that I have learned there with the girls on the school team during practices and games.” The fact that she plays on an outside team along with the school squad while still balancing her intense academic workload (she’s an IB Diploma candidate) truly proves her dedication to the sport and shows how much she deserves the captain title.

When asked about her responsibilities as captain, she told us that she and Bethea “work together to keep the team playing as well as we can and keep the energy up during games and practices. It has been a tough season so it is important for us to keep the team optimistic. We try to keep everyone focused and very involved in every play.”

When watching the team warm up for their matches, Liz’s strong and positive voice clearly pumps the Volleyball team up.  In combination with Bethea’s animated energy and the team’s signature blasting music, Meijer’s encouragement has the team ready to play hard. She has made a distinct impact on the volleyball program in ways tangible and intangible.  She is a leader, a mentor and an all around outstanding player.