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12/25/2018 11:00 PMZoe Hollwedel turned in a great senior year with the Valley Regional volleyball team during her first season starting at the libero position. Last fall, Zoe decided that she wanted to become a libero after spending her freshman and sophomore years as a hitter up front. Zoe pursued her goal and got some time on the court in her junior season, but this year, she became a mainstay and earned the nod as the starter. Zoe garnered All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors and received Valley’s Most Improved Player Award for her performance.
Zoe feels a huge sense of pride in setting the goal of becoming the libero and following through to reach it. Zoe moved from an offensive role to a defensive one and had to prove herself to Head Coach Kathy Scott in order to secure her spot.
“I’m proud of myself for getting the libero position like I wanted. I worked really hard at it, and I learned a lot,” Zoe says. “My freshman and sophomore years, I was a hitter. Then I wanted to start playing in the back row. I started training for the starting libero spot and, this year, I proved to my coach that I could play it and got it.”
The libero needs to be ready to handle the hardest shots from the opposition at all times. Zoe was typically the first player to receive a serve and found herself constantly diving on the ground to dig up incoming shots. Zoe led the Warriors with 338 digs and 277 serve receptions on the season.
“I really like being able to hit everything on the court and have my teammates rely on me,” says Zoe. “I like diving and going after tough shots, and my knees were bruised and bumpy for the whole season because of it.”
In 2017, Zoe was part of one of the most successful campaigns that Valley Regional volleyball had experienced in many years. The Warriors finished the season with 20 wins and made some noise in the Shoreline Conference and Class M State tournaments. It was a year that Zoe will remember for a long time and, while Valley didn’t reach those same heights this season, Zoe still feels proud about the progress that she and her teammates made.
“Last year was a special season. Seeing all of us so happy and winning as much as we did made us work even harder. It felt good to be that intimidating to other teams. We kept improving and worked together,” says Zoe, who lives in Ivoryton. “This year, even though we didn’t have as many wins, I felt we accomplished so much and, personally, I did so much to achieve what Coach Scott asked me to do.”
Zoe came into her own when she began trusting herself. Zoe says she had the tendency to overthink her moves during matches, but once she let her instincts take over, she started seeing more success.
“When I’m on the court, I’m not thinking. My coaches always told me that I needed to stop hesitating and not doubt myself,” Zoe says. “I just started going for it. I was surprised at how well I was doing. I was getting the right angles, and that gave me more confidence.”
As a senior, Zoe knew she could have a positive impact on the Warriors’ younger athletes. Zoe and her fellow seniors worked hard to foster an environment where everyone on the team felt included.
“All of the seniors, we wanted to get the team close,” she says. “We did a good job making one big team with the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. It didn’t matter what grade we were. We all hang out together, and we’re one big team.”
Coach Scott says that Zoe always gave the kind of effort she wants to see on the court. The senior often drew praise from the opposition for her ability to get to the ball. Scott also appreciates the way Zoe conducted herself around her teammates and in the community, but then put her game face on when it was time to compete.
“Zoe moves really well and is a good all-around player. A lot of coaches complimented Zoe’s play. The better the opposing hitters were, the harder she worked. She really stepped up, dug in, and played good defense,” Scott says. “Off the court, Zoe is really community-oriented. She does a lot of community service. Zoe’s really engaging and friendly, but when she gets on the court, she’s really serious and competitive.”
Zoe is looking to compete at the collegiate level after she graduates from Valley Regional. Next fall, Zoe will attend Eastern Connecticut State University, where she plans to play for the volleyball squad. Reflecting upon her tenure with the Warriors, Zoe thanks her mother Julianne for supporting her throughout her quest to become the team’s libero.
“I really want to continue playing volleyball. I know Coach Scott also really wants me to play in college. I was accepted to Eastern, and I’ve been some of their volleyball team’s games,” says Zoe. “I really want to thank my mom. She was always encouraging me to prove myself. She always wanted me to be the libero and always try to be even better. She motivates me.”