By Emma Braithwaite, Features Editor
Walking into the gym, the bright lights reflect off the wooden floors. The blue bleachers start to fill up with fans. The banners on the wall proudly proclaim conference championships won by each team.
It’s been 13 years since Anna Zappulla helped the Nighthawks add four titles to that volleyball banner, yet to her, it feels like it was just yesterday when she was setting up a kill to win the game. Now, she is training the next generation of volleyball players to do the same thing.
Zappulla is reliving her glory days as the new head coach for JV as well as the new assistant coach for the varsity volleyball team. She returned to FFHS after graduating in 2008 and is utilizing her own experiences – which include playing as a setter for four years – to improve the team.
“I feel like I was just here,” Zappulla said. “I feel like the same volleyball player walking in as I did back then.”
Zappulla was a freshman at First Flight when it opened in 2004, the same year that some of the players she coaches were born. She is looking forward to coaching these players and even younger ones through a successful season.
“She actually understands what it’s like to play volleyball at our high school,” sophomore JV outside hitter Lea Styons said. “She is very knowledgeable and invested in helping our team.”
Freshman Schuyler Wilson is one of the setters for JV and works with Zappulla during pre-game setting drills. While winning is an important and exciting part of the game, it isn’t everything. Zappulla believes that enjoying what you are doing and knowing how to do it is key.
“I really like how, for her, it’s not always about winning,” Wilson said. “It’s about having fun and actually teaching us how to play.”
Zappulla has coached her team to a successful start of the season and she hopes to continue with a great rest of the season.
“I’m looking forward to building up this program,” Zappulla said. “I hope to be here for years to come.”
Junior Emma Braithwaite can be reached at 23braithwaiteem@daretolearn.org.
