A 0-3 loss was taken for the girls varsity volleyball team at the Dig Pink game on Tuesday, Oct. 2. The Dig Pink game is an annual fundraiser to support breast cancer awareness. This year, they raised over 900 dollars.

Facing the T.C. Williams Titans, the Atoms had an amazing time volleying for the cure.
Co-captain senior Zain Ghul played brilliantly alongside her teammates.

“I had a lot of fun during Dig Pink and I think that’s more important than winning or losing, because the game is for a good cause,” Ghul said. “it’s a lot of fun playing with my team, sometimes it can be stressful, but overall it’s great.”
Senior Tiya Ayele, highlights why the Dig Pink tradition started,“the timing and our want to give back and help others is why it became a tradition.”

The team’s dedication and diligence conveys how much they care not only about the game, but also about raising awareness for breast cancer. Ayele worked hard on the court, putting her best foot forward.

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which is during our season. Dig Pink is a nice way to raise money for something bigger than ourselves,” Ayele said.

There are also many traditions that go along with Dig Pink.

One is that each player of the varsity volleyball team selects a boy to bring to the game.

Right before the girls begin playing, the partners perform their unique, and entertaining handshakes.

Additionally, the players and the boys make custom shirts and bandannas with each others’ last names on them.

The players and the boys wear neon pink outfits on the day of Dig Pink.

“Dig Pink means a lot to me. I think many people on the team and other teams across the country have a dig pink game because most people know someone who has had cancer,” Ayele said. “Dig Pink is a way to honor those who have battled cancer.”

Similarly, many other sports also have many traditions. For varsity field hockey on Senior Night, senior players are allowed to ask teammates, family, and friends for anything they want.

The players mainly ask for snacks, drinks, and food that they love. Also, for field hockey, they have “Big Sister, Little Sister,” which is when a player from varsity from gets paired up with someone on JV, and they create a sisterhood by exchanging gifts and bonding with one another.

The swim team celebrates their tradition of dying their hair certain colors to boost morale and become more unified. The girls on the team usually dye the tips of their hair red, while the boys on the team bleach their hair blonde.

For lacrosse Senior Night, the senior girls wore the boys’ jerseys in order to encourage each other and show team spirit.

Additionally, for the boys and girls soccer teams, the girls also wore the boys’ jerseys, which again helps to support each other and encourage one another to perform better.