Ever since Emma Teuner was in seventh grade, she knew that she wanted to play volleyball for the Morgan team. Teuner had started losing interest in her former sport; soccer, as the idea of playing volleyball peaked her interest. Her parents, from a young age, inspired her to do the sports she loves, and practiced with her to become the volleyball player that she is today. During her first year on the team, she was the only one to start varsity games as a freshman. Now, Teuner is a sophomore at The Morgan School, and is a starter on the varsity Morgan Volleyball team.
Last year, when Teuner got her decision letter that said she made the varsity team, she was overwhelmed with excitement. Teuner would start in volleyball games a few times, though for the most part she would be rotated onto the court, as she worked hard to earn her playing time. Now, this year, she has moved up to starting every volleyball game.
Teuner’s father had always thought that she would become a volleyball player, though he never told her that’s what she had to do. “You only get so many years to play the sports you love, and he just wanted me to do what I loved … and I love volleyball.” said Teuner. Her parents, younger sister, Hailey, and older brother, Jake, support her through all the sports that she plays which includes volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse. Teuner looks up to her family, who inspire her to do what she loves and take risks in life. Teuner’s little sister Hailey plays field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Eliot, while her older brother Jake played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. Teuner’s cousins were inspirations to her, for they were also on the Morgan volleyball team a few years back.
Over the summer, Teuner played on a volleyball summer league team that was held at Homefield, Essex, which also included other schools such as Valley Regional and Old Lyme. Summer league lasted six weeks, with two games every week, and was more laid back than the actual volleyball season. “I got a lot of practice out of that, it gave me a little insight on what I needed to work on for the upcoming season,” says Teuner.
Teuner is very committed to volleyball, and practices on a daily basis. In her backyard, she has a volleyball net where she practices her hitting. She will also have her sister set the ball for her to work on adjusting to hit more difficult sets. Before playing, Teuner focuses on previous games, rewatching film to see where she can improve and where the opposing teams weak points are.
Teuner’s determination to improve her skill is immense, and she dedicates a lot of her time trying to become an even better player. Teuner said, “I just like to focus on the game before, like the JV game. I like to watch, and I like to think about previous games and I watch game films that day during my study or the night before.”
“The first couple of practices I was a little scared.” Teuner said, “I remember there was one practice where I was not confident in myself at all, and I went home and told myself to get it out of my system. Then the next day I came in and acted like I’ve been there for a while, and that just became how I dealt with it.”
