Standing tall at 5’2″, Mavrik Schweer plays in the libero position on the Mount Vernon varsity volleyball team and on her club team. These defense specialists cannot serve nor rotate to the front line, but they do wear a separate color jersey from the rest of the team to be recognized easily.
Practicing about 10-12 hours a week can be difficult, but not for Schweer. It allows her to bond with her teammates, lift them up, and bring great energy to the team while consistently getting closer to her goals.
Schweer found joy in volleyball at just 7 years old, managing from kindergarten through fourth grade for West Delaware. Having played with multiple teams, she certainly has had many enjoyable moments with her teammates. One of her favorite memories by far is winning the State Championship in 2024 with the score being 3-0.
Winning the state championship was at the top of Schweer’s volleyball bucket list and when it was achieved in 2024, her confidence was raised tremendously. Knowing she could accomplish that made her proud of how far she’s come. But how did she do it? How hard did she and her teammates have to work to get to state?
During the summer, the team practiced multiple times a day, only sometimes taking breaks on the weekends. They would work on position training and cross train in sand volleyball, as well as lift and do other basic workouts. During the season, practicing every day for about 3 hours was the standard. For state, it was walkthroughs before they left with special practices specifically for the team they’re playing next. The farthest she’s travelled for volleyball is to California for nationals.
We all have something we’d like to improve, but do we actually work to get there? Schweer most definitely does, putting in extra practice to get better at her receiving technique constantly working to make it more consistent. “If I keep working hard, I know I’ll get there eventually,” Schweer said.
Teamwork, patience with others, and belief in yourself are all very important skills you learn from volleyball. “You have to have perseverance and commit to your team.” Schweer is a player who doesn’t play to win, she plays to have fun and be with her teammates. “Remember to find the fun and don’t let yourself make it a job,” Schweer said. “Everybody’s stories in volleyball are different.”
People have motivators, those who drag them down and those who help you reach your goals. For Schweer, her biggest supporter is her mother. She’s been right there with her since she first started getting into volleyball. “Our whole lives are volleyball, she knows the ins and outs like I do.” Another big support of hers is the club coach, Ben Barr.
Playing in the league one (LOVB) is another big dream of Schweer’s. After high school, she hopes to go to Nebraska and continue her volleyball journey there, planning to play in a high level D1. She’s won the state championship, so who’s to say she can’t also accomplish these two goals?
