Volleying into Varsity: Payton Short Finds Success as Youngest Player

By: Mattea Cashiola

Redwood Varsity Volleyball begins to once again dominate their opponents at the start of their new season as they welcome their youngest player on the team, Payton Short ’25.

Short has been playing Volleyball since she was only eight years old, she made the Redwood Junior Varsity Volleyball team last year in her freshman year.

During freshman year Short was recruited multiple times for Varsity during that period. Which she says is her proudest moment in her career.

At the end of Short’s freshman volleyball career, she won the award for Offensive Player of the Year and had 125 attacks total from the whole season.

But before the age of eight Short had played other sports, “I’ve tried a lot of sports, so Volleyball was one I just wanted to try. Once I tried it though I never played another sport,” Short says.

Short says, “It’s so cool to be looking up to the older girls and kind of learning and getting prepared for my junior and senior year season.”

Short does have some getting used to, this year she is a setter on the team. Last year, Short was an all around hitter on her club team and on the school team.

Still, Short does not seem to have any struggle with change. Short demonstrates control, precision, and effort during her games.

“Throughout the 7 years there have been a bunch of ups and downs with Volleyball, but it’s been fun,” Short says.

Volleyball takes sacrifices, dedication, and focus. Short however has been able to manage joining twelve clubs this year and is still able to focus on her education.

Short says if she wasn’t doing volleyball right now she would really be focusing on academics.

“Volleyball doesn’t leave me much time so I think if I did have more time I would invest more in my schoolwork,” Short says.

Besides the load of school work, Short is still looking forward to the new season and getting to bond with new teammates.

“I’m looking forward to playing, winning, and growing together as a team this year and hopefully next,” Short says.

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