When senior varsity volleyball captain Melanie Nachtigall steps on the court, she intends not only to win, but also leave everything on the court in her last year of competitive play.

Following her sister, Michelle, ’04, she began her trek to become the next Misty May at only seven years old.

?I started playing because when I was younger I would go to my sisters games and watch her play,? Nachtigall said. ?Seeing her made me want to play as well. Sometimes we would go out in the backyard and practice together.?

Nachitgall?s determination spawned from her sister?s perseverance to succeed, a legacy carried through the companionship of two siblings.

?When my sister was a senior she was put in a position that she didn?t really want to play, but the team need another person in that position,? Nachtigall said. ?Although she really wanted to play a different position, she stayed positive and played her best every game.

Long before her senior year, Nachtigall?s perspicacity and affection for volleyball offered her a glance towards her future college.

?When I was in elementary school I used to go to Fresno Pacific volleyball games,? Nachtigall said. ?This always inspired me to play, hoping that maybe someday I would be on the team.?

League titles and playoff games hold significance, but memories remain as the highlight for many athletes. For Nachtigall, the sheer camaraderie of playing a sport with friends and its complimentary moments offers a definitive sense of teamwork.

?Volleyball is worth playing because of the feeling you get when you get a big hit in a game,? Nachtigall said. ?But most importantly, it?s worth playing because of the relationships you form with your teammates.?

By the end the Caruthers Raisin Harvest Tournament, Nachtigall had led the team to a 2-0 non-league record, scoring 13 kills and 20 digs against Le Grand on Nov. 8.

Girls? volleyball head coach, Shailey Jones, feels strongly about Nachtigall?s potential to compete as well as her ability to lead.

?Melanie is a quiet leader on the team because she leads by example through her play,? Jones said. ?She?s a fierce competitor that never gives up.?

Fellow teammates find Nachtigall’s presence essential in game situations.

“She’s really motivated,” Kally Batesole, ’09, said. “She doesn’t say a lot, but when she does, everyone listens. She also inspires the other players by her hard hitting and natural charisma on the court.”

Despite spending a generous portion of the season on the road, players often find reprieve from the sport?s demanding tasks by participating in some down time on the annual beach trip, Oct. 26

?The beach trips have probably been the most memorable,? Nachtigall said. ?Last year on the trip we played Ultimate Frisbee on the beach and went surfing in Pismo.?

As for Nachtigall?s future, the college, whose team she once looked upon with such hopeful intent as a child, now offers the potential to become her future alma mater.

?I?m probably going to Fresno Pacific University because I want to stay in town for at least the first two years of college,? Nachtigall said. ?I plan on doing something with graphic design or computer animation.?

With the experience of the returning seniors mixed with newcomers from junior varsity, the season for girls’ volleyball seems a powerhouse for Eagle spirit.

?I?m really excited about this season because we have a lot of good talent on the court,? Jones said. ?They?re all committed to each other; it?s more like a family than a team.?