Kaelyn Miller is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Gilbert Classical Academy for AZPreps365.com

 

Before the start of any Gilbert Classical Academy girls’ volleyball game, one would not be surprised to hear music blasting and see the girls jumping and dancing around together. Often playing are team favorites “Yeah” by Usher and “Low” by Flo-Rida, and leading with her goofy dance moves is captain Mia Drake. 

“It's a good way to get out any wiggles, brush off the bad day you may have had, or even to hype yourself up for what's going to come,” said Drake, a junior. “Everyone just yells out songs that they want to hear, and everyone goes 110% dancing every single time.”

Music and dancing play a large role in the culture of this team, and not by accident. Drake along with coach Kerry Morgan have worked to focus on team building and positivity. GCA lost a large part of its team last season when eight seniors graduated, leaving a huge gap. The team had to shift its mindset from a win-it-all mentality to a building year. A year focusing on building skills and confidence can be frustrating on the court, making it all the more important to have a strong relationship and stay positive. 

On a recent trip, the team traveled to an away game on a charter bus with fluorescent blue lights. The girls took advantage of the atmosphere and decided to hold another dance party on the road. The bus driver played the girls’ favorite songs, and the back of the bus was going wild. To Morgan, this year's team feels like a family, the daily dance parties reminding her of those that she had with her own mom and sister.  

“Coach Kerry has told us that our mindset is 80% of the game and how important it is to stay out of your head and to be as positive as you can on the court,” Drake said. “If anyone makes a mistake, I think it's really important to say you're okay, you've got the next one, shake it off and we can move forward. If someone gets in their head it's bad for all of us, so I try to keep the team as positive as possible.” 

“She's very positive both on and off the court,” said best friend and longtime teammate, Jillian Urrea. “We have a lot of younger players and I think she has done a very good job of making sure that everyone, regardless of what year they are, feels that they are included in the team. It really helps with the court dynamic. She never stops smiling and she's always got a great attitude.”

Drake’s natural insight, confidence, and leadership with the other girls are a large part of why she was named captain at the beginning of this season. While COVID-19 delayed and pushed back the start of season training, Drake caught the eye of coaches immediately. 

“She was a starting varsity player last year and throughout this summer of open gyms, she had this confidence,” Morgan said. “She's just a confident player and she was always talking and taking control of the group. She started leading naturally.” 

For the first time in Morgan’s eight years of coaching, she was able to see a player and with no doubt in her mind, know that she would be the captain. 

“We've had good days and bad days so far this season and she's been very consistent,” Morgan said. “She tells it like it is, she doesn't sugar coat anything. She's just quality like that... She has such a boisterous attitude. The gym is so quiet if she's not there. She's awesome to be around. She's stepped in as the leader. Her play has gotten extremely good, she reads the court well, she knows what needs to be done.” 

The honor of Morgan’s unwavering belief and the title of captain were not taken lightly by Drake. 

“It makes me want to do more to prove that I deserve to hold that standard for her because it means so much,” Drake said. “I know the weight that the title holds and how other people on the team and in the stands view you as the captain. I always try to be as good as I can for everyone because I know that is a big statement. I represent not only myself but everyone on our team.”

Those qualities that stood out to the coaching staff also go very well with the other members of the team. Her positivity, selflessness, and the ability to constructively criticize herself and others make for a great captain. 

“She is very encouraging. She has so much faith in every player and she makes it clear that she believes in you and trusts you,” Urrea said. “She's selfless on the court. She always says that there's no I in T-E-A-M and we have to do everything for each other.”

The captain position opened this season when last year’s captain Brystal Turner graduated. The graduating seniors of last year's team were very close with their younger teammates. Even though they were years older than the others, it never felt that way. Drake recalls that those girls were some of her best friends, and that she took inspiration on how to be a quality captain from Turner. 

“[Turner] was always pushing herself to do the best that she could no matter what the situation was on the court,” Drake said. “That was super aspirational because as a captain you always have to hold yourself accountable before you can expect anyone on your team to.” 

Drake is trying to foster that same tight-knit relationship between upper and underclassmen on her team as well. 

“My favorite part about being captain is seeing some of the younger players and being able to help them because they look up to me and know that I'm trying to help them,” Drake said. “Being able to work with them when we're not going hard at practice is really important and fun to me.”