Walking onto the quad you can spot a group of brightly colored volleyball girls wearing a range of preppy outfits. The quad is filled with laughs and smiles as you can see the excitement in each of their faces as they get ready for the big game. At Paly, each team and player has their specific game day rituals. Rituals vary from team to team, and whether it’s dress up days or team dinners, each team has their own way of preparing for game day. The varsity football team preps for game days by wearing their jerseys to school, grilling as a team, and hyping themselves up in the locker room.

“We normally blast music and try to get as hyped for the game as we can,” Josh Butler (‘22) said.

Like football, the girls varsity volleyball team prepares by coordinating fun outfits based off their opponents and coming together for a team lunch to bond before the game. The team’s favorite pre-game ritual is their locker room “turn-ups.”

“It’s a good time for the whole team to bond and we play with more energy after listening to music,” Hyunah Roh (‘21) said.

So far this season, bonding rituals have allowed for many Viking teams to build greater chemistry and allow for stronger communication on the court.