hated practicing rolls. I looked over to see her long legs emerge from a somersault and thrust her to her feet. Not bad . She’d definitely gotten faster at the maneuver over the past few months. Still, Lucia aimed a death stare at Nina, who shouted, “Ten! I want ten perfect rolls!”
Coach’s voice lowered. “And a better leader than Nina.”
I caught a rare smile from him.
“Maybe we can petition the NCAA to get you one more season?” His eyebrow arched.
“Nina’s your captain next year, Coach.” She’d be a senior and the starting setter when next season started in the fall. I mustered a sympathetic smile. “No one can save you from that.” I jogged to the court to join the warm-up from hell.
About an hour later, we practiced defending cross-court hits. I stood at the center of the net in my typical middle-blocker position with Nina and Lucia on the opposite side of the net. Our assistant coach, Kara, tossed a ball to Nina, who set it to Lucia on my left. I shuffled left to join my teammate Brianna in a double block against Lucia. But somehow her spike careened through our hands yet again.
Typically I loved trying to block Rez’s zinger lefty spikes. But today I felt helpless. Even knowing Lucia would hit the ball at an angle across the court, right toward my block, I struggled to reach my spot in time. My timing on jumps also felt messed up.
When Kara tossed the next ball, I cheated a little to my left before Nina launched her set that direction. I’m getting this one, damn it . I sensed Brianna at my side and watched Lucia’s midsection, leaping when she did with my hands firm over the net. Brianna also jumped for the double block. The play ended all too quickly, and when I came back down I swiveled right to see Lucia’s hit zoom to the floor just inside the court. My block hadn’t even touched the ball, and her hit had such a vicious angle that Kaitlyn didn’t have a chance to dig it. Point to the opponent.
I rested my hands on my knees as I sucked in air. My head felt light and wobbly, and I shook it to get back on track.
“That was one of the worst blocks I’ve ever seen,” Coach said.
I closed my eyes. He’s right .
“Get in sync, Madison and Brianna. Tighten up that block. Again.”
I pulled myself up and returned to the middle of the net. I managed to get my hands on Lucia’s next hit, but the ball rolled off my fingertips and flew off court, where Kaitlyn was unable to save it.
“Firm up that block, Madison.”
I nodded at Coach as I panted.
“Water break!” he hollered.
Thank God . I realized my legs trembled as I walked toward my Gatorade bottle. What the hell was my problem?
Lucia sidled up to me after I drank some water. “Have you eaten anything today?”
“Of course.” As I thought about it, though, I wasn’t sure. “I…” I’d skipped breakfast because I hadn’t been hungry, but I’d eaten lunch, right? I’d gone to microbiology lecture, then I’d worked on my lab report…
“Maddie.” Lucia’s voice rose as she blinked. “Have you?”
I winced. “I don’t think so.”
“I won’t stand by and watch you develop an eating disorder.”
I laughed. “You don’t need to worry about that, Rez.” When she didn’t crack a smile, I touched her arm. “I just haven’t been hungry lately. But you’re right, I need to eat. No wonder my blocks sucked today.”
“Ask Coach if you can go to the training room. Tina has some protein bars.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll grab something after practice.”
“Go now , Maddie.” She pointed to the training room in one corner of the arena.
Well, this was a role reversal. I’d forced her to visit Tina a few times in the fall when she’d been too scared to eat. I bit back a smile at the stern line of her mouth. It seemed my sweet Rez had grown a backbone. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her mouth relaxed. “If I have to eat, so do you.”
“Paybacks are hell.” I smirked.
I approached Coach, who was having a
Coach’s voice lowered. “And a better leader than Nina.”
I caught a rare smile from him.
“Maybe we can petition the NCAA to get you one more season?” His eyebrow arched.
“Nina’s your captain next year, Coach.” She’d be a senior and the starting setter when next season started in the fall. I mustered a sympathetic smile. “No one can save you from that.” I jogged to the court to join the warm-up from hell.
About an hour later, we practiced defending cross-court hits. I stood at the center of the net in my typical middle-blocker position with Nina and Lucia on the opposite side of the net. Our assistant coach, Kara, tossed a ball to Nina, who set it to Lucia on my left. I shuffled left to join my teammate Brianna in a double block against Lucia. But somehow her spike careened through our hands yet again.
Typically I loved trying to block Rez’s zinger lefty spikes. But today I felt helpless. Even knowing Lucia would hit the ball at an angle across the court, right toward my block, I struggled to reach my spot in time. My timing on jumps also felt messed up.
When Kara tossed the next ball, I cheated a little to my left before Nina launched her set that direction. I’m getting this one, damn it . I sensed Brianna at my side and watched Lucia’s midsection, leaping when she did with my hands firm over the net. Brianna also jumped for the double block. The play ended all too quickly, and when I came back down I swiveled right to see Lucia’s hit zoom to the floor just inside the court. My block hadn’t even touched the ball, and her hit had such a vicious angle that Kaitlyn didn’t have a chance to dig it. Point to the opponent.
I rested my hands on my knees as I sucked in air. My head felt light and wobbly, and I shook it to get back on track.
“That was one of the worst blocks I’ve ever seen,” Coach said.
I closed my eyes. He’s right .
“Get in sync, Madison and Brianna. Tighten up that block. Again.”
I pulled myself up and returned to the middle of the net. I managed to get my hands on Lucia’s next hit, but the ball rolled off my fingertips and flew off court, where Kaitlyn was unable to save it.
“Firm up that block, Madison.”
I nodded at Coach as I panted.
“Water break!” he hollered.
Thank God . I realized my legs trembled as I walked toward my Gatorade bottle. What the hell was my problem?
Lucia sidled up to me after I drank some water. “Have you eaten anything today?”
“Of course.” As I thought about it, though, I wasn’t sure. “I…” I’d skipped breakfast because I hadn’t been hungry, but I’d eaten lunch, right? I’d gone to microbiology lecture, then I’d worked on my lab report…
“Maddie.” Lucia’s voice rose as she blinked. “Have you?”
I winced. “I don’t think so.”
“I won’t stand by and watch you develop an eating disorder.”
I laughed. “You don’t need to worry about that, Rez.” When she didn’t crack a smile, I touched her arm. “I just haven’t been hungry lately. But you’re right, I need to eat. No wonder my blocks sucked today.”
“Ask Coach if you can go to the training room. Tina has some protein bars.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll grab something after practice.”
“Go now , Maddie.” She pointed to the training room in one corner of the arena.
Well, this was a role reversal. I’d forced her to visit Tina a few times in the fall when she’d been too scared to eat. I bit back a smile at the stern line of her mouth. It seemed my sweet Rez had grown a backbone. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her mouth relaxed. “If I have to eat, so do you.”
“Paybacks are hell.” I smirked.
I approached Coach, who was having a
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