Here at Woodland, one senior is turning her passion for athletics into an event that brings the entire school together. Chloe Babo, a senior and four-year member of the volleyball team, is hosting a special volleyball game as her senior project.

Babo was inspired to organize the event after remembering a similar game that took place during her freshman year. 

“I was inspired to do the volleyball game because I wanted to promote female sports,” she said. “I play volleyball and I love it. And freshman year there was a game like this and I thought it’d be cool to do it again.”

For Babo, the project is more than just a friendly competition — it reflects her identity as a student-athlete. Having played volleyball all four years of high school, she wanted to give other students the chance to experience the sport from a new perspective. 

“This project reflects my experience as a student-athlete because I played volleyball all four years and I wanted other people to experience watching it and playing it,” she explained.

While the event promises fun and school spirit, there is still plenty of competitive energy surrounding the matchup. Babo believes the volleyball team may have a slight edge going into the game.

 “I think the volleyball team has more advantage because we know more of the skills of the game,” she said. However, she was quick to add that the football players’ athleticism and strength will make for strong competition. “We are all exceptional athletes, and the football team is stronger, so I think they’ll be good competition.”

Organizing an event of this scale has not come without challenges. Babo said coordinating volunteers has been the most difficult part of the process. 

“The biggest challenge of organizing this was obtaining all my volunteers and keeping them all on the same page,” she said. Although she has received plenty of support, managing so many moving parts has required patience and organization.

Despite the stress, Babo says the positive response from the school community has made it worthwhile. 

“The most rewarding part of this so far is people telling me that they’re excited to go and excited to participate in the game,” she said. Seeing her idea come to life has been both exciting and nerve-wracking. “It feels really great to have this idea come to life. However, I am an anxious person, so I do have some nerves about it, but I think it will go splendidly.”

Students who attend can expect what Babo describes as “a fun volleyball game between two award-winning teams,” along with plenty of school spirit.

Through her senior project, Babo is not only celebrating her love for volleyball but also creating an opportunity to highlight female athletics and bring the Woodland community together one serve at a time.