08/26/2026
🐰🏐 A Place on the Court
Six years into playing volleyball, Makayla Collins still loves the competition.
She loves the feeling of putting a ball down, making a good serve or pass and feeding off the energy of a close match. But the Atlanta High School junior has found something else she values just as much: the people beside her on the court.
"Our team is very energetic, and we're all really close," Makayla said. "There's never a dull moment on the court with our team."
It's what happens when the energy isn't quite as high, though, that Makayla believes makes this team different.
"Every time one of us is down, we always try to find a way to bring each other up," she said. "That's something I've never experienced with other teams. I feel like that's what makes our team so special this year."
That sense of connection isn't reserved for the players on the varsity court.
For Makayla, being part of Atlanta volleyball means making sure everyone knows she has a place on the team, regardless of which squad she plays on.
"Even if you're not on varsity, I feel like we all make each other feel like we belong here playing on the court," she said. "I love my teammates. We make each other smile and laugh, and everybody wants to win."
It's also given Makayla people she knows she can count on in any circumstance.
"I feel like I can go to anybody on our team if I'm feeling down, and they'll make me feel better," she said.
Over the years, volleyball has become more than a sport for Makayla. The lessons she has learned on the court have followed her off it.
"Volleyball has taught me to think before I react. It's taught me patience," she said. "Volleyball has definitely changed me as a person." ❤
