![Walking through the tunnel created by the cheerleaders and Celebrities, senior Frances Tran smiles as the soccer team is sent off during DEN for their playoff game against Rouse tonight. Tran said the wins against Smithson Valley and Alamo Heights gave the team a morale boost to take on the Raiders tonight. “I know we were not 100% confident in those games,” Tran said. “But, Rouse is a big opponent for sure. We’re definitely going into tonight with a lot of morale [because of the previous wins].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/frances-tran.jpg)
![Holding a bucket of materials in one hand and a roll of tape in another, anatomy and biology teacher Tyler Terry prepares for a lab. Terry said his proudest moments are when his students are happy to see him. “When I take my wife to a football game or something and a bunch of students want to say hi to me or they like to smile and wave and it just makes me feel good that the students are really kind and supportive of me,” Terry said. “[I’m also] proud when I see students perform really well in their extracurriculars because I can see how hard they’re working in my classes, [so] when I see that they’re also working so hard in other things. Like they’re winning band competitions or they’re getting awards for their theater productions, or I see them put on their choir shows, that’s like, wow, you guys are incredible.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rags-6.png)
![Catching a ball, junior Alivia Robinson plays at the Cedar Park vs Glenn game. Having played since she was 5 years old, she is dedicated to softball and has committed to UTPB for softball. “When I got my offer it took me a very long time to decide where,” Robinson said. “Softball has always been my dream for college, and UTPB is my fit. When [I committed] I knew I was going to be loved and supported.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lilly-Adams-3.13aliviaedit-901.jpg)
![Holding her dog, Nova, senior Ariana Balakrishnan poses for her senior pictures while Nova wears a bandana with her college decision. Balakrishnan applied to 18 colleges in total, but she decided on Columbia in the end. “Right before I clicked the button to open Columbia’s letter, I literally looked at the camera and go ‘This is just gonna really suck because I wanted it so bad,’ and I clicked it and all of a sudden you hear trumpets,” Balakrishnan said. “There’s a video that plays when you open it and I actually didn’t watch the video, I just watched the screen go black, because every day of December before ED [Early Decision] I would go on YouTube and watch the acceptance video to manifest it, so immediately when the screen went black, I started screaming and jumping up and down. And my parents in the video are like ‘What are you doing, where’s the letter,’ and I was just screaming ‘I got in, I got in.” I just started crying, and it just felt like everything in the world came together.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ariana-2-300x217.jpg)
At long last, the 2010 Volleyball season is upon Cedar Park High School. As the Cedar Park volleyball team gears up for an exciting season, a fresh face has arrived on the court. Freshman Hailey Roberts has earned a spot on the varsity volleyball team with the skills she displayed during tryouts.
“Hailey’s a very strong and dynamic player, she hits the ball hard,” Jennifer Almanza, volleyball coach, said. “When she gets the ball she puts it away and gets a kill.”
Roberts’ position on the team is right side and, when needed, the middle. It came as a surprise that she made the team.
“I didn’t think I was going to make varsity,” Roberts said. “I thought I might make JV.”
It didn’t come as a surprise to Hunter Roberts’ that his little sister made the varsity volleyball team.
“She has been beating out her competition her whole life,” Hunter Roberts, junior and brother, said. “When we play sports at home, she usually kicks my butt.”
Prospects are high for the Lady Timberwolves this season in District 25-4A play. The lady Timberwolves volleyball team is hoping to carry out their title of success.
“I really think we have a chance to be one of the strongest teams in the District,” Almanza said. “We will have to play flawlessly against the teams in the new District, to win a championship. That is an expectation we have.”
Along with the challenges that are involved on the volleyball court, Roberts also must balance the academic side of her freshman year. After a full day of classes, volleyball practice is held from 3:45 until 5:30 p.m. Homework then dominates the rest of her day and night.
As with any team sport, chemistry is always a key to success. Roberts’ skills and abilities are big factors that help to push the team forward and strive for excellence.
“The girls get excited for Hailey when she plays, they’re really proud of her,” Almanza said. “That’s the key for having a good team, getting more excited for your teammate than yourself.”
Roberts gets along with fellow teammates, which is essential for the team. The volleyball team is able to put aside differences and work together as a pack.
“With a lot of girls and different personalities it’s sometimes difficult for everyone to get along all the time, but we work through it as a team and don’t let it affect us on the court,” Taylor Teets, senior, said.
As the Lady Timberwolves move into District play, coming together as a team is vital. The team feels they have made big strides in this area where, at the Hill Country Invitational in Fredericksburg, they took third place. Students can expect freshman Hailey Roberts to find her niche on the team this year as the Lady Timberwolves volleyball team works for a strong showing in District 25-4A.
