![Holding up T-wolves, the tour group poses for a picture in the Chinese classroom. Sophomore Lydia Ou, junior Phu Trung and senior Yushan Pan gave a tour to Taiwanese diplomat Andrea Yang on Nov. 8. “I was so excited when I heard I would get to give the tour because it’s a big deal,” Ou said. “She’s from the US embassy for Taiwan, so she’s really important. I’m so privileged [to get this opportunity] and I’m so excited.” Photo by Skyler King](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Main-Taiwan.jpg)
![Students drew chalk art in honor of Veterans day. This is just one of many things the school does to show appreciation to veterans, and the art will remain in the courtyard as a reminder of all of the veterans who served their country. “On veteran’s day, I think it’s a great thing we do at school to honor people that served [who are] at our school or family members,” English teacher and cheer coach Nadira King said. “It makes me feel proud, and it makes me remember the [veterans].”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Capture.png)
![Sucking in a breath of air, freshman Lily Pope competes in the 200 yard individual medley. On Oct. 25, the swim team competed in the AISD Swim Invitational. Overall, the girls team took second place and the boys team came in eleventh. “My favorite stroke is butterfly because I do the best in that stroke,” Pope said. “I feel like [butterfly] can test how [your ability] to convince yourself to keep going. The hardest part of swimming is convincing yourself to stay strong and keep pushing during a hard race [when] everything is tired.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/POPE-1200x804.jpg)
![Smiling at the camera, Author Ehigbor Okosun, members of Page Turners, and other students reflect on the author's visit. “I thought the visit was great,” Senior Amia De Leon said. “It was interesting talking to her and [getting to know] her process and her thoughts and books in general. But I think the reason it went well [was that] people got to ask questions. I'm glad that she said so much in response to the questions and it wasn't just one and done. [The author’s responses] felt very articulate.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Sebastian-5-1200x800.jpg)
![Standing in front of the field at a freshman football game, cheerleader freshman Jacob Gaudreau along with teammate freshman Bella Gibson pose for a photo during halftime of game. “[Cheer has] definitely given me a much more outgoing personality,” Gaudreau said. “I used to be very introverted, so it's definitely made me more extroverted towards people.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Ingrid-204-1200x800.jpg)
![Holding a wooden pizza toy, senior Taylor Peterson plays with small children in Bucaramanga, Colombia. During the summer, Peterson traveled to Colombia to help build an elementary school that only had two classrooms but five or six grades with one teacher. “We add[ed] two more classrooms,” Peterson said. “It’s kind of hard when you have two or three grades in one classroom and you only have one teacher. It’s very hard to actually get some beneficial learning. [The extra classrooms will give the students] a better quality of education because they’ll actually have a place specific for their learning.” Photo by Taylor Peterson](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Taylor-P.png)
![Swinging with his arm extended, senior Nolan Park hits the ball smoothly over the net and to the opponent’s side. Park is one of four varsity tennis captains and helped the team win district championships. “Winning district champs was a pretty awesome feeling,” Park said. “We had lost to Liberty Hill a couple of weeks before, but when we played them [again], we came out and really took care of business. We took them out and it was just a really awesome night.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Kassidy-419.jpg)
![Standing proud, varsity senior athletes Rafael Escobar, Griffin Jacobs, Jakob Martin, and juniors Jackson Springer and Jack Morris pose with their newly earned medals. The varsity team finished third out of 14 teams on Sept. 25. “The team's primary goal is to win the district championship,” head coach Cody Price said. "We're confident that with our action plan in place, we can accomplish this mission. [For the next tournament], our preparation involves assessing our strengths and weaknesses, celebrating milestones and creating individual development plans." Photo courtesy of Cody Price](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/golf.jpg)
![The cross country team poses for the camera after finishing the district meet. The varsity boys, JV boys and JV girls all placed third and the varsity girls placed fourth. “Coach put in the right training for us for this season, so I think we will be peaking this week and the next couple of weeks,” varsity runner and junior Nathan Kukla said. “The chances of making it to state are very high, but we don’t settle for the lowest and there is always going to be that chance, so [we] race for the best.”](https://cphswolfpack.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Heidi-831-1200x900.jpg)
The gym rings with the snapping of skin meeting leather. With this crack, the ball flies high over the court and a constant rally matches the intensity of any sport out there. Nails are chewed down to the bit as the ball is saved from hitting the ground and then is smacked across the net to the other side. When the curves of the ball grip the rubber floor, one side of the gym erupts in chaotic cheers, while the other sulks quietly.
The Cedar Park volleyball team caused many opponents to hide and quiver in fear this past season at the thought of facing a team that was making history. The team ended the season with a 40-8 record and can now check competing in the state semifinals off their bucket list. Head Coach Rebekah Almanza beams with pride about the team and attributes their success to the dynamics that they established.
“The girls had a sense of fight and this made us successful as a whole,” Almanza said. “The chemistry this team had was unmatched.”
This feeling of accomplishment hasn’t escaped one person. Senior Jordyn Ledyard, a defensive player for the team, has been forever changed by the experiences she has had this season and is still in awe at the distance that the volleyball team has gone.
“Being a part of the volleyball team that went to state is an unbelievable experience,” Ledyard said. “Everyone always dreams that they’ll make it to state, and this year we made our dream a reality.”
The volleyball team has ten seniors graduating this year. Because of this, the team will not only be losing many players, but will also be without almost all of their starters. Though more than half of the varsity team is leaving, one thing remains- the legacy that has been left behind from this season.
“This senior class has always wanted to leave a mark on Cedar Park volleyball, and this year we did,” Ledyard said. “The legacy we have left is one that won’t be forgotten, and we’ve also set the standard high for future teams.”
Coach Almanza agrees that the team this year has left legacy behind and she too knows the magnitude that this legacy extends to.
“There is a new standard that has been set; now going to state is going to be just what we do,” Almanza said. “The tradition will continue.”
The JV team has also felt the implications of the varsity season this year. Kirstyn Conwell is a setter for the JV team and admires not only what the varsity team has accomplished, but also their spirit.
“They inspired me to keep my head up and play my hardest like they do every game,” Conwell said.
The legacy has been left, and the shoes are waiting to be filled. The expectations for excellence are now on top of the future Cedar Park volleyball team’s shoulders. Groups of girls come up every year and every year the dynamic of the team changes. Each team will have a standard to reach and will remember the varsity team that made history.
