On Wednesday, Oct. 16, our varsity girls and boys volleyball teams came together in the field house at 6:30 p.m. to battle on the court while participating in the second annual charity volleyball game. All entry fees at this game were donated to the Ozaukee County Family Sharing, a food pantry organization located in Grafton that provides food [at no charge] for people struggling in the Ozaukee County area.

The teams competed against each other in three matches, the first two matches going to 25 points and the final match ending at 15 points. The girls beat the boys in the first match 25-23, but the boys made a comeback the following two matches winning 25-19, and finally 15-9, making the boys the ultimate winners. The event had a successful turnout of an audience consisting of parents, peers, and teachers to cheer on the teams. 

Gallery • 3 Photos

Annie McCormick

The boys take a break after the other team called a time-out.

Mia Caputa, junior, enjoyed the event despite not coming out on top. Caputa has been on varsity since freshman year and enjoys fun team activities like this.

“I enjoyed this event last year, so when I heard we were going to do it again this year I was really looking forward to it. Practices are so long and exhausting sometimes, so it was definitely nice to take a night off and just have a friendly competition while making a difference in peoples lives,” Caputa said.

Heath Joubert, senior, appreciated the change in the team’s normal routine and schedule. Joubert enjoys volleyball because it takes his mind off the stress of schoolwork and grades.

“The charity game was fun to participate in, especially it being my senior year. It’s fun to switch up teams’ normal routine every once and awhile, and this event was definitely a different and creative way to have fun as well as raise money for people in need,” Joubert said.

Dylan Bradley, senior, took on the leadership role of organizing this event last year for the first time. Bradley has enjoyed participating in clubs and sports at Homestead, and bringing volleyball and a charity fundraiser together was a goal well accomplished.

“I started this event last year because I was frustrated by how few people came to watch volleyball games. I believed that if we set the two teams against one another, that premise would draw other students to come watch, drawing attention to both volleyball programs in the process. While we were having the teams face off, I knew it would be a great opportunity to generate funds that could be donated back to help those in need in the community. I learned about Ozaukee County family sharing and their mission, and I knew that they would be the right charity to donate to. I am making arrangements to help this program continue for years to come and to be an enduring contribution to both Homestead’s student culture and its efforts to give back to the community which makes our education possible.” Bradley said.

Olivia Vanlaanen, junior, thought this event was successful. Vanlaanen enjoys the bond that her team shares, and participating in events like this is rewarding because she gets to spend a majority of time with close friends while doing what she loves.

“The game was so fun because it brought the boys and girls varsity teams together for a friendly competition while working together to accomplish one desired end-goal,” Vanlaanen said.