# @macjournalism on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C0o7x0jrutv
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/11221791-macjournalism-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/legacy-do/8ac1d2927f99d39e75367361bbc1748bad6243bc9f85f569a8a7f9517d625ea0.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-12-09T16:49:56.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** McCallum Journalism (@macjournalism) — https://gondola.cc/macjournalism

## Caption

There’s a statistical argument to be made that Rylee Hissey is the most valuable volleyball player in District 25-5A, which by the way, she is, but statistics don’t tell the whole story of what made her so valuable to her 2023 teammates. A team leader, a great one anyway, possesses so-called intangible qualities that can’t be quantified but clearly are essential for a team to succeed. And that’s where Hissey’s greatest value lies.

Her approach to the game galvanized her team and allowed it to endure and excel during its toughest tests. To illustrate the MVP’s mental strength and its impact on her team, we take you back to the last regular season volleyball game of her storied career.

After four years in the program, Hissey had one last district game to play and the stakes couldn’t have been higher. As they did the year before, the Knights ended the season with a familiar opponent: the Ann Richards Stars. As it was the three-year letterman and senior captain’s final district game, emotions were running high. The team knew they had to beat Ann Richards, to whom they had lost earlier in the season, for a chance to see their name on the district champion plaque.

“I knew that we had the skill and strength to make it this far, I was just a little worried about our mentality,” Hissey said. “I know if we get in our heads then we won’t play our best.” 

In order to avoid this outcome, Hissey kept up a positive attitude, making sure her teammates knew they were in this together. She knew if spirits were high, they had a better chance to prevail. But the question was even more essential than winning or losing. It’s about the experience, win or lose. Even if the scoreboard didn’t end up in the Knights’ favor, at the end of the night and the end of her time on the court, the team would be happier with how they ended the season if they embraced and enjoyed the experience. 

“I would rather go out having fun playing the sport I love with the team I love than to dwell over a simple mistake someone made,” Hissey said.

Caption continues in comments.

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## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| McCallum Journalism | @macjournalism | https://gondola.cc/macjournalism | Newspaper |
| Julia Copas | @julia_copas | https://gondola.cc/julia_copas | Photographer |

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