Yarmouth High junior Liz Clark doesn’t remember much about the serve that ruined her sophomore volleyball season, only that it arrived on the second point of the first match and the ball struck her in the head.
The resulting concussion kept her out of school for a month and off the volleyball court the rest of the fall.
Additional Images
She begins her junior season in a new position – setter – and as a co-captain of the defending Class B state champion Clippers. All this after only taking up the sport as a freshman after a decade of playing youth soccer.
Q: Why did you switch from soccer to volleyball?
A: I have friends that I’ve been playing volleyball with in the Maine Juniors league for a long time and they encouraged me. I like volleyball a lot better. It’s a very encouraging environment.
Q: How was your recovery from the concussion?
A: It was definitely difficult. I had light sensitivity and headaches all the time. I was basically in bed a lot, listening to Harry Potter books on tape. One of the hardest parts was getting back into school and catching up. Midterms were difficult. I’m glad it’s over. My team was a great support system, so that was nice to have kind of a shoulder to lean on. I went to the games and watched and supported, but that was basically it.
Q: Why did you decide to change positions?
A: Grace Mallett (one of nine seniors who graduated last spring) was our setter last year and we didn’t have any setters coming up, so I was asked to take over the role. I started setting during my club season. I think I already had the hands for setting. Just getting tons of repetitions helped me develop from not-so-good to getting-a-step-up.
Q: Your parents met on a volleyball court (in a Portland recreation league). Did they ever push you or your sister Alison (a sophomore) into the sport?
A: Not at all. They said they’d support me with whatever I chose.
Q: Along with your younger sister Alison and classmate and middle hitter Heather Clark (a transfer from out of state), there are times when Yarmouth’s front row is entirely made up of Clarks. What’s that like?
A: We’ve been asked if we’re all related. Actually, Heather looks a lot more like our mom than Alison or I do.
Q: The only other Class B school within an hour’s drive of Yarmouth is North Yarmouth Academy. How do you feel about all that travel?
A: That’s definitely part of the struggle of being in Class B, but we have fun bus rides. It’s not that bad when you’re with your teammates. Sometimes we all listen to music. Usually it’s all talk.
Q: Are you musically inclined?
A: I used to play the guitar, flute and piano. I still play guitar. The other two I haven’t really had time for. I also used to sing in the choir, but I had to drop that class because I got so busy.
Q: What’s your favorite form of social media?
A: I like texting, or Instagram or Facebook. I have a Twitter account, but I usually just look at other tweets. I like the Yarmouth Fans (@yarmouthfans1) to see how everyone’s doing.
Q: Has volleyball taught you anything about yourself?
A: I’m more of a quiet person, but on the court I definitely open up a lot. It’s taught me about leadership and how to be a good teammate.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.