Jupiter High’s boys’ volleyball team started their season off with scrimmages against Forest Hill, Dwyer and Palm Beach Gardens.

“So far, we have only had one tournament with three teams as competitors. I think that Gardens will be our biggest competition. I play travel with a large majority of the players on that team and many of them are strong players,” junior Andrew Reinhart said.

During practices, the team strengthens their chemistry on the court to be able to compete with their toughest rivals.

“I believe that a team should have a strong chemistry on and off the court. You want to be able to trust the decisions each player will make. You could have the strongest most physical team in the world and a team with exceptional team work, and I would still pick the team with better teamwork,” Reinhart said.

Pressure can play a major part in the team’s performance. The added stress can make or break a player; however, players rely on one another to keep everyone motivated.

“In volleyball, there [are] a lot of big moments where [there] is a lot of pressure. You [want to] have a team that will trust each other’s decisions and utilize a group effort,” Reinhart said.

Having a positive attitude at practices makes gametime more consistent because players know they can trust one another.

“Attitudes are a huge thing to look for, and if they are completely into the sport, I would much rather take players who are all into practice and coming to everything and not talking back than someone who is an amazing player. Like I said, you can coach players who are coachable,” coach Stephanie Carter said.

Carter is confident the boys will have a strong season, and she is excited to see how this year plays out.

“I think this is going to be a fun season…we just need to focus on communication and coming together as one team,” Carter said.