My Heart Skips a Beat (completed)

Chapter 10: A Birthday Win and a Loss

A/N: sorry for not updating, school has just started! hope you enjoy tonight's double update!

“Okay, let’s go team; we’re down at match point by two points!” Coach Myers instructed, her eyes staring up at the Foxfield Academy indoor gymnasium’s scoreboard. The down referee was holding the game volleyball. Skip, Roscoe, Dave, Roger and Ashley were sitting way up in the stands, holding up posters with one letter on each, arranging them to spell our school’s name for the Foxfield team. Mrs. DeBruhl allowed Vernon Academy students onto Foxfield to watch the first volleyball game of the season, for brotherly support.  “We won the last game, that’s good, but don’t lose that focus, girls! We’re playing three games, best two of three! If we win this one, we’re done but we need a comeback. Number eleven is serving right now, and she’s got a pretty powerful serve. She serves it like a fireball to the back line every time. Meredith McCarthy, that’s your area. Be there. Emily, adjust to her serve in case she surprises you. Don’t let it drop to the floor. Pass it up to Grace, and Grace, you set your outside hitter up. Got it?” Coach snapped, but in a positive, I know that we can win this match tone.

“Okay!” the entire team yelled. The time out was over. Pineview’s future Models of America team was sashaying onto the court and assembling in their positions, ready to start a play, and number eleven was executing a pre-serve routine.

“Foxfield on three!” I screamed. “One, two, three, Foxfield!” the rest of the team shrieked. We assembled back onto our side of the court, ready for the serve. I was standing up at the net, blocking the other side in the left front position.

Turning around, I began to instruct other players where to go and what to do. Grace was in the serving position getting ready to run up to between the Dunbars to set, Susan Dunbar was in the right front position, Hanna Dunbar was in the middle position in the front, and Meredith McCarthy and Emily Burke were in the two other back row positions. “Grace, I’ll set you up if the ball gets to me from Meredith. Meredith and Emily, get ready, it may come to you. Hanna, back up. Susan, move up. Get ready!” I yelled, dropping back out of the left front position, or the outside hitting position. The gym sounded like a stampede of elephants just attacked out of nowhere. Volleyball is not a quiet sport. The players are expected to talk and communicate constantly. That’s simply how the game is played. You yell a person’s name if you’re sending the ball over to them, and you yell “Got it!” if you’re the player who will hit the ball. Players yell “Middle!” or “Outside!” or “Right side!” or “Ten!” so the setter can set the player in that position up and ready to hit the ball back onto the other side. Right side hitters are of course, on the right where the setter is, middle hitters are of course, in the middle front position and outsides are on the left front position. Ten hitters are the liberos, also known as players who only play the back row. Liberos hit from the back row only. The back row and the front row each have three positions, making six players on the court at all times. Volleyball is the kind of sport where you need your team with you. Sure, you can make a difference in the game on your own but that isn’t possible without the five other players beside you.

Eleven from Pineview served a meteorite over the net, straight to Meredith as Coach Myers anticipated. She fell back from the ball’s impact on her forearms, but it went directly to Grace; as it should have. She didn’t even have to move her feet, just twist so she could aim the ball at either Hanna or me. Grace brought her hands up above her forehead so she could launch the ball correctly.