A crisp, dark and unwelcoming -4 degree morning in Canberra begun our campaign at AJVC 2014. An 8am game meant an early breakfast and an even earlier wake up. Team and individual goals were set at breakfast, all promising to make a commitment to our team during the best and the worst of times. After a quick defrost of the ice covered windscreen on the team bus we were on our way.

We finally arrived at the AIS and met our first opponents ACT and immediately started our pre game warm up. Communication which was a goal we had all talked about was evidently lacking which was heavily affecting our performance. After we finally found our rhythm, quite a few good rallies were played and our spirits were lifted.

However, it wasn’t long again until we allowed ourselves to be overrun by negative thoughts from many unforced errors. Our communication had once again broken down, leading to our ultimate downfall and a 3-0 loss to ACT. Although the game had resulted in a loss, it was an excellent learning experience for us all individually and as a team.

The second game for the day was to be played against NSW. With first game jitters out of the way, this game was an opportunity to tie up the loose ends from our first game. It was important that we understood that in order to play to our best, we have to accept that we will make mistakes during the game. Making mistakes isn’t a bad thing, in fact it is the best way for us to find a positive way to change a previously negative outcome.

A far more aggressive hitting warm up was a crucial part in out quest for second game victory and it was a great indicator towards working on our team goals. With a blow of the refs whistle we found ourselves once again being thrown into the world of competitive volleyball. A strong start built confidence within the team, reassuring us all that we can play good quality volleyball if we put our mind to it. Missed serves and shanked passes allowed NSW to slowly make a break away from us during the second set and we never really caught up.