After five months of recovering from an L5 vertebrae fracture, junior Gavin Juhas returns as libero.
Although this fracture jeopardized half his travel season with Ocean Volleyball Club and two weeks of his high school preseason, Gavin did not let this setback take away from the learning experience.
¨As for strengthening my body in physical therapy, I learned a lot about the muscles I need to work to support my spine and useful techniques to do such,” said Gavin. “I mainly focus on flexibility and strengthening my hamstrings along with my lower core.¨
The libero position is most commonly known as the most difficult position in volleyball. They are often the last line of defense and are expected to remain calm under pressure so they can make decisions quickly, according to vanguardvolleyball.com.
Gavin currently practices on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays where he prioritizes passing drills and stretching to prepare for his games on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Through his hard work, he motivates his teammates to work alongside him.
¨Gavin definitely brings positivity to the team, he is loud and he constantly puts in 100% no matter the day. It motivates me to try my hardest,¨ said team captain Donny Velazquez.
According to teammates, he brings more to the table than just his volleyball skills.
“He’s brought effort, honesty and friendship as a team leader,” said junior Layne Kemp.
Gavin claims his mom is the top contributor to his success because he was first introduced to the sport when she offered to sign him up for volleyball lessons as his 13th birthday present.
“My mom has been my number one supporter since day one. She’s the reason I’ve started volleyball, and she comes to support me at every game and tournament,” said Gavin.
