Valentina Harding (12) is on the Portage Northern varsity volleyball team. “This will be my sixth year playing,” says Harding. This year she hopes to help her team be the best that they can be. Her favorite part of playing volleyball is the team aspect. “One person really can’t carry the team. Everyone has to support each other and everyone has to want to win,” says Harding. She spent her summer at conditioning for the current season. Harding’s life would not be the same without the game. “It has taught me to be disciplined, and if you want to be successful you can’t cut corners,” says Harding. Team volleyball camp is one of her most treasured memories. “Our team really bonded. We stayed up so late just because we couldn’t stop laughing. Whenever we would get frustrated with each other, we would just think about that weekend,” says Harding. A sport which once started as a hobby, soon became a lifestyle. Most days you can find Harding at a practice, game, or tournament.