The Quincy University women’s volleyball team has taken on coaching a CYO team this season.

Alongside playing in multiple weekend matchups, the women’s volleyball team has expanded their passion to teaching young players the game of volleyball.

The women are coaching St. Peter’s third-grade CYO team. CYO stands for Catholic Youth Organization. The mission of CYO is to provide an inclusive environment for children of all ages to learn, grow and develop into better athletes, people, and followers of Christ.

The CYO team practices once a week on Tuesday and competes once on Sunday.

The Quincy women’s volleyball team took up the position of coaching to further expand the game. The women strive to inspire and motivate the young players much like they were once inspired themselves.

“Do you remember growing up and being in awe of the ‘big girls’, we’ll that’s me now, that’s our team. We are the older girls who are experienced, volleyball players. I hope to inspire them with hard work and just being committed to playing and coming here giving 100%,” Zuzia Buchnajzer said.

Buchnajzer and her teammates are doing what they can to push the players but to also keep the love of the game. Keeping a positive and joyful atmosphere has helped keep bright spirits and optimistic attitudes within the young player’s minds.

“I play because it is fun. I like to be around my friends and having college volleyball players as our coaches are really cool. We’re the only team that has them as coaches and it’s really awesome. We love coming to play and see our friends and coaches,” Ellie Fesler said.

It is a special reminder to many of the women as to why they themselves still play the game many years later.

“Sports is such an incredible thing. It’s really so important so much is taught and learned through it. Looking at the excitement in these little ones to come in and play once, maybe twice a week for an hour is sometimes a spark we forget we once had too,” Makayla Knoblauch said. “Our players look up to us as people, coaches, and as players. They want to be just like us one day and how could that not inspire me? We thought we were doing this to inspire them when really we are the ones getting our eyes reopened.”

The aspiring players are not the only ones thankful for the new coaching staff. Many parents and grandparents were pleasantly surprised when the lady Hawks walked in to coach their girls.

“I just know that we are all so thankful and appreciative of the team doing this for our girls. I think Sunday when the entire Quincy women’s team walked in all of the parents thought the team was coaching all of the CYO teams but when they found out it was just for our girls they were even more excited. I mean we’re just so appreciative of the team taking our girls under their wing,” Elaine Fesler said.

The Quincy Women’s volleyball team is learning and teaching young athletes more about the game of volleyball and life.