The Oyster River High School (ORHS) Bobcats unified volleyball team is getting ready for their home opener against Franklin High School, on April 23rd at 4:00 PM. They’re coming of a nailbiter last Tuesday at Dover, where they narrowly came away with a 2-1 win.
Franklin started the season off with a 1-2 loss against Wilton-Lyndeborough. Last season, they had a 2-4 record. In last year’s matchup with ORHS, the Bobcats won 2-1. “Franklin is always going to play you tough. We saw them in the championship two years ago and they took us to three games,” says Baver.
Even though they started the season with a win, for the ORHS unified volleyball team winning isn’t the most important. Instead, their primary focus is building an inclusive and fun environment for all players. “I love being part of the team,” says Alexa Gombar (‘25), second year player on the team.
For coach Jake Baver, the primary focus is teambuilding. “Winning a game is secondary to creating an environment where everybody feels comfortable and is able to grow,” says Baver. In Unified Volleyball the measure of a successful season is different from other sports.
“In basketball we didn’t win a single game and [Baver] had a great mentality the whole time,” says Franklin Finnin-Andrews (‘25), a third-year player on the team. That is something to be said for the spirit of Baver and the players.
The social aspect of Unified Volleyball is also an integral part of playing on this team. “I love being around everybody and hanging out with all my friends,” says Gombar. This inclusive environment makes it a place where everyone can grow together.
Even though winning is not the main goal for the team, it is still a goal. The team saw a ton of success three years ago when they went undefeated and won the state championship. “I would like to see that happen again for this group,” says Baver. “However, confidence building is more important than winning a championship, that would be the cherry on top.”
Make sure to go watch their home opener in the ORHS gym this Wednesday, April 23rd at 4 PM!
Mouth of the River 
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