– by Zachary, senior –

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, the JV and varsity soccer and volleyball sports teams began practicing for the upcoming sports season. While the JV teams focused on practicing the basics, the varsity teams had to prepare for the annual alumni game that would take place just three days later.

Returning from summer break, varsity players had to adjust quickly to be ready to play in the alumni game. 

“I felt out of shape and rusty,” Caleb, junior, said. “It was good to practice and play around again after waiting the whole summer.”

The alumni game is an annual soccer/volleyball game played between the current team and those who have already graduated from FBTA. It’s a good opportunity for the varsity teams to play against older players, test their strategies, and get experience with their new lineups.

“I felt pretty prepared for the alumni game,” Gabby, senior, said. “Our team went to volleyball camp at BJU over the summer, so that gave me a chance to be ready for the school year.”

The alumni games were held on Friday, Aug. 18, with the soccer game beginning at 5:30 p.m. In the first half, the varsity team fell behind 3-2, with the alumni team closing out the game in the second half with a final score of 5-3.

“I felt like we didn’t play as good as we could have,” Caleb, junior, said. “We were testing out positions, and I think we’ve improved a lot since that game.”

“We played a really good game,” Ethan, 1st year alumni, said. “I didn’t think we would win, but we clutched up.”

The alumni volleyball game took place shortly after the soccer game. The varsity team won the first set, lost the second, and then prevailed in the third set to close out the game. 

“I thought the competition against the varsity was tough,” Mrs. Tripp, alumni, said. “It’s the first time they’ve beat the alumni in a few years, so it was good to see them win.”

“I was surprised that we won, but I knew we could do it,” Gabby, senior, said. “We started off strong, got a little weak in the second set, but then came back and won.”