Mackenzie Schweickart is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Marcos de Niza High School for AZPreps365.com.

The Marcos de Niza volleyball teams and their coaches have spent the 2020 season with a different mindset than previous years. This year it’s not just about being competitive. It’s about good mental health and using volleyball as an escape from the stress of everyday issues.

Due to COVID-19, the girls face a new learning environment that can make them feel isolated and stressed. They were unable to see their friends, and they were looking at a computer screen all day. For some of the athletes, this change damaged their mental states.

For sophomore Lacy Brown, the move to eLearning took a toll on her and her grades. “I feel like a different person,” Brown said. “I used to be a straight-A student and on the Honor Roll. It’s hard to stay motivated.”

Brown’s grades and her mentality toward school weren't the same, but since the Padres have begun their season, she feels more motivated. She can be around friends and play a sport she enjoys. “You’re not alone anymore, and I’m a lot happier to be doing what I love,” Brown said.

With her motivation found again, Brown attempts to face school work with a new mindset. Marcos de Niza has moved into a hybrid option for online learning where some students come to school on Monday and Tuesday, and the other half comes on Thursday and Friday, leaving Wednesday as a day to do homework.

At first, Brown almost didn’t stick with volleyball because of a conflict with a former coach. A coaching change, however, helped her see it through. Now, Brown gets the constructive criticism and positive feedback she needs to thrive. “Coach Zach (Underwood) wants me to get better,” Brown said. “He experiments and does the best for me.”

Similarly, Najsstaziia Rivera-Murillo, a junior on the junior varsity, struggled with the potential loss of volleyball early on. She moved to Marcos de Niza three years ago initially for the art program, but soon wanted the fun that came with sports. Rivera-Murillo quickly “fell in love” with volleyball and even started playing club.

When the pandemic called for eLearning, Rivera-Murillo was no stranger to it. The junior had been homeschooled before and takes most of her classes online anyway. However, that didn’t mean she wasn’t scared of the uncertainty of a volleyball season.

“After COVID-19, I felt like I didn't have a purpose,” Rivera-Murillo said. “It’s been stressful, and volleyball is a destress thing to me.”

Playing this season meant new procedures and restrictions, but they didn’t bother Rivera-Murillo. The masks during practices and temperature checks were nothing to her if it meant she could be on the court.Marcos de Niza's freshman volleyball team with Leticia Campas (top right) and coach Araya Jordan (top, center).    (Photo Courtesy: Melissa Yee)

While online classes bring stress to students not used to them, they also can amplify the anxiety already felt by some students. Freshman Leticia Campas opened up about the daily anxiety she feels from her classes.

Campas does not like to be in front of a camera, and it makes her anxiety worse when she has to turn it on in her classes. The technical issues that come with eLearning can be just as stressful.

Even though Campas made the freshman volleyball team, she doesn’t like to play in games often because some of the games are filmed. However, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Campas was called to play in the game. Her number 15 was called out, and she got in to help her teammates.

“When she called my number, I was like, ‘Are you sure you didn’t mean 14?’” Campas said.

Once she got in, Campas started to play well, which allowed her to enjoy the sport she loved. At that moment, she was just playing volleyball and looking to her coach for guidance.

“I was able to score us points,” Campas said. “I was having fun and I wasn’t used to that. It was like a rush of power.”

Normally, Campas battles the anxiety in her head, and it makes being an athlete harder than it already is. She has to attempt to let go of mistakes rather than keep them with her the following days.

That’s what freshman coach Araya Jordan helps with. Jordan wants her girls to remember to “calm down, relax, and breathe” after they make a mistake instead of dropping their heads.

“COVID-19 has such a big effect on the girls and puts a lot of weight on their shoulders,” Jordan said. “We are making it work and doing the best we can.”

With this mindset, Campas has shown improvement with battling the anxiety on and off the court.

“There’s no cure for anxiety,” Campas said. “You can’t conquer it in the way you want to; it’s always going to be a part of you, but you can try to overcome it and focus on having fun.”