Our first experience with nationals is now over. The Girl’s team finished 124th place out of 200+ teams. That’s not great, but it’s not terrible.

It represents the end of a strange volleyball season, one of several ups and downs, thrills and disappointments. The Girl improved a lot, both in her sense of court real estate (knowing and moving around the area of the court in a smart, effective manner) and ball handling.

The end of this year brings a bit of sadness with it, as do all endings. In this case, it’s due to the fact that it’s very unlikely these girls will play together again. Everyone will be going their separate ways from here. Since they don’t go to high school together, they’ll probably be opponents if they’re on the volleyball court again.

So the third year of L’s club play is officially behind us, and what lies ahead? The Girl has big hopes, big dreams. She wants to come back to nationals and win it — or at least place in the top ten. She wants to play college ball, using her academic success with her academic skill to work her way through college.

In the end, though, the true friendships, whether among players or their families, will always last.