Eden Cohen
“Raven is such a fun person, so she’s an amazing teammate,” Upper School JV Volleyball coach Alberto Napoles, Jr. said. “The fact that she’s in eighth grade and competitive on JV– her future is so bright.”
In her first year at Gulliver, eighth grader Raven Edwards is already making waves on the JV Upper School team. Edwards has only been playing volleyball for two years, but has taken to the sport quickly.
“I think my mom inspired me to play volleyball, because when I was little we went to the beach everyday and she played,” Edwards said. “My mom and aunt played volleyball all the time.”
Edwards came from Carver Middle School. It was a big change, from the campus to the overall environment.
“Coming to Gulliver was something to adjust to because I didn’t really know anyone. I came partly because of volleyball; also Gulliver is highly spoken of and the academics,” said Edwards.
One of the communities she has connected with has been the Volleyball team, where she is around girls older than her. Even though she doesn’t go to the same campus as them, Edwards has gotten to know them at practices and games over these few months and has been welcomed.
“The coaches at Gulliver really focus on you and not just watch you do it, they explain,” Edwards said. “It is really cool because they like how there are younger players on the team and I don’t see them during the day. Everybody on the team is really nice.”
Her teammates, like fellow middle schooler Raven Edwards, have noticed that growth as well.
“As we have worked more with our team, I have seen how much Aura has improved her execution as a player and a teammate,” Edwards said.
She has a very important position in the team, which comes with pressure, especially at her age. She is on the middle and right side. The middle blocks the front row of the other team to throw off their defense. The right side blocks the outside, which is the other team’s main hitter.
“She’s an exciting player. People love to celebrate with her, which I think is amazing. Her future is going to be so bright. You guys are going to hear about her for so many years,” said Napoles.