The speaker announces the next diver. Silence fills the room. The diver steps onto the diving board. All eyes on her, she focuses on what she is about to do. With confidence and strength, she plunges her body into the air, and has to focus on the different things that need to be accomplished in those two seconds before she hits the water.

On Wednesday, Nov. 28, JV girls diving had the season’s first home meet against Valparaiso. Though they often interchange, Hannah Leyba (9) and Kelly Paulson (10) represented JV for the night.

“It’s a great accomplishment to be on varsity as a freshman. Being on the same team as the older ones inspires me to do better,” Leyba said.

Leyba placed first with a total of 181 points, while Paulson placed in second with a score of 126.

“I thought I did well; my other teammates were supportive,” Leyba said.

One of the the requirements of being a diver is being able to keep a clear mind.

“[In order to focus], I take a deep breath, say a prayer and think about my dive,” varsity diver Abigail Prince (11) said.

Since receiving perfect 10s on any dive is rare, even in the Olympics, divers know it is important to get back up when they fall.

“I always tell myself the worst is over and the next one will be better,” Prince said.

The girls’ next meet is Saturday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. against Penn High School.