While athletes at Loomis Chaffee compete and practice, much of their team’s success is owed to student managers, who work behind the scenes to keep logistics running smoothly. The LC fall sport teams have had a history of consistent success, and they continue to thrive this year.

This fall, Liv Riva ’29 is one of the Thirds Volleyball team managers. Her first couple of months on the job have been fun and exciting as she finds her rhythm within the team. Initially, her decision to become a team manager was rather unexpected.

“I tried out for the volleyball team, but I didn’t make it,” she admits. “But it didn’t really matter since I enjoy managing teams, and our coach recommended this job to me.” Although she wasn’t on the court as a player, Liv found a new way to stay connected to the sport she loves. Before joining the Island, Liv played volleyball recreationally and remains passionate about the game.

“I just love volleyball, it’s so fun to watch. All the girls on the team are so sweet as well,” she said. For Liv, one of the best parts of managing is the sense of connection she feels during practices and games. With 18 players on the team, getting to know them has been a highlight of being a manager. “Teams get really close over time, so it’s nice to be part of that,” she continued. “Some of my closest friends right now I met through managing the team.” 

Although bonding with the players is an important part of her role, Liv’s main responsibilities lie in handling team logistics and working closely with Coach Beason and Coach Laprise. She explained that attending every practice is important, but she can choose whether or not to join the drills. During practices, she mostly “shags” balls for the players, which is picking up stray volleyballs around the court. 

“I also usually handle the jerseys. I was the one who originally got everyone’s jersey number down. During games, I also keep the official score and manage the scoreboard as well as keep stats of all the players.” Keeping statistics is one of the most technical parts of the job, and Liv has learned to record everything from aces and sets to hits and net touches. Tracking group stats helps the coaches identify overall team trends and areas to improve.

Liv attends all the home games but occasionally misses away matches, where fellow manager Alyssa Azeke ’29 steps in. Alyssa helps manage and sometimes even plays on the team, keeping the workload balanced.

However, these games are more than just about wins and numbers. When asked about her favorite memories from the season so far, she responded: “There are way too many memories to choose from, but my favorite would be one of the first games I managed.” She continued: “I remember being upset I didn’t make it onto the team, but after a while I realized it’s so cool to watch everyone grow over the season.” 

With such a successful season, Liv is looking forward to continuing her role as manager in future sports and hopes to return to volleyball next fall. Reflecting on her experience this season, she smiled and said, “Each one of the girls [has] their own special talents that make our team so special.”