Playing some solid volleyball with close friends is like having family by her side, says Nora Prophater.

When the Mercer Island High School (MIHS) senior right-side hitter is shredding on the court, every bump, set and spike and ounce of success is shared with her “second sisters.”

Prophater, a three-year varsity player who stands 5-foot-11, has helped lead the Islanders to a 4-3 record at press time. The locals won their last four matches by a 12-2 total count.

“We just had a really tough game against Liberty. And they’re a really good team. They went to state and I think made it a couple rounds. And we beat them and it was a really good fight with our team,” said Prophater, adding that communication on the court has been paramount for the Islanders thus far. They’ve also been growing as a team each time they hit the floor.

MIHS, which also competed at state last year, receives leadership from captains Prophater and fellow senior Brea Loosmore, a libero/defensive specialist.

It’s an egalitarian effort for the Islanders, especially when it comes to Prophater slamming or tipping the ball over the net for a kill. She credits everyone from junior libero/defensive specialist Sydeny Parcel to junior setter Ava Imbesi to whoever else is situated in the rotation for making key contributions.

“My coach (Shayda Sanii) also does a really great job of communicating where to hit and what’s open. We just communicate a lot on the team about what shots are open for us. And then it gives me a lot of joy when we get a kill and everything. The whole entire team combined work towards that,” she said.

The Reporter asked Prophater a series of questions to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life:

What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?

I would say before every single game and every single practice, my mom says this quote every single day, it’s “be the hardest worker and have the most fun.” It’s kind of just an inside thing between the both of us. She was my first rec volleyball coach, and ever since then, she’s always been there for me. Reminds me of, I’m not there just to win a game. I’m there to have fun and just be myself on the court.

Excellent. Always got to listen to mom there. She’s always got good advice, for sure.

If you’re having a tough day there at school, what’s a good way to break out of that?

Honestly, I would say volleyball. It’s just my place to reset and stuff. I go on the court and leave everything that happened in school, like personal life out off the court. And I’m just there to play volleyball. And it’s a great way just to hit the reset button for me.

Are you someone who kind of figures things out on the spot? Or are you a big kind of preparing type person?

I would say I’m kind of a mix of both because I’ve been in situations where I feel like prepare things out for a long term and stuff. For example, college, I have a whole spreadsheet and everything. And then there are some on-the-moment things where I have to make a decision for the team or something in my personal life. So it’s like a mix of both. I also am a head lifeguard at the Mercer Island Beach Club. So, I’ve had to take some big decisions there. And if I’m taking a big decision, I just try to take my time and evaluate it first and then choose the right decision that I think and maybe try to connect with people about like, if they agree with what I’m choosing.

What’s kind of a defining moment in your life? A big moment in your life to kind of get you on the path where you’re at now?

I feel like there are so many big moments and stuff. I would say probably making varsity volleyball was one of the big moments for me because I was the only sophomore and there were a lot of girls at tryouts there. And that was a moment where I realized I was good at what I was doing. ‘Cause I do club volleyball and stuff. And that moment just brought me so much joy. I just got really connected with the upper-class girls with that. Then another moment would probably be when I became a lifeguard. During that, I just realized how I want to go into PT (physical therapy) and help people and what I want to do with my life.