Senior Ryan Glassman has been playing volleyball for almost six years now and loves it. He has tried other sports like baseball, basketball and soccer, but as soon as he started playing volleyball, he knew that was the sport for him. Glassman loves how volleyball is so fast paced and how there is so much energy on the court between the players and the coaches.

It is very easy to spot Glassman on the court because he is the libero; he always has a different colored jersey than the rest of his team. Glassman has not always been a libero though, he has jumped around from many different positions including the setter, a defensive specialist and a hitter. Going through those positions was a challenge for him because he had to learn many different ways to play each spot.

“The challenge was to adjust to each different position,” Glassman said.

There have been challenges, but Glassman has really focused on improving himself these past few years to be a better asset to the team.

“I have improved my confidence a lot and also my ability to pass,” Glassman said.

Unfortunately, the past few seasons Glassman has been on a team that has ended their season with more losses than wins. This season, the team is hoping to turn that around and maybe even come home with a trophy or two.

“In my first three years, I played on a team that did not win all year,” Glassman said. “It has been a roller coaster.”

This year though, he has high hopes for him and his team.

“I am looking forward to improving on our record from last year and to bring home a regional plaque,” Glassman said.

Glassman plays volleyball because he enjoys it, and he is encouraging other people to try it as well. He tries to recruit underclassmen to join the program even if they just want to have fun with it and are not necessarily too competitive.

Senior Robert McGinn has played volleyball with Glassman all four years at Antioch Community High School and has nothing but kind things to say about him. McGinn feels that Glassman is very positive and helps keep the mood high, even if things aren’t always going the way they would like them to.

“He’s very optimistic with the team and pushes himself in each practice,” McGinn said. “Ryan’s presence just lightens the mood for everyone, and he knows how to lead by example.”

Glassman and the rest of their team will have an exciting season, be sure to catch a game or two this spring.