Volleyball season is in full swing at Indian River.

“It really builds character. It really gets you to think about teams. It's a mental game, for sure,” said Indian River head coach Alyssa Sidmore.

This year is the Warriors’ 10th with Sidmore leading the way.

“I really wanted to build a program and build a culture. And thankfully, over the years, I've seen it progress,” Sidmore added.

And over the last 10 years, the team has gotten better, now setting a goal of a sectional championship.

“I think we're excited. I think we have that goal of we've always wanted to win sectionals,” Sidmore added.

But this year, it will not be in its usual home of Section III. The school decided this year to move the volleyball program to Section X and switch its season from the winter to the fall.

The move was for several reasons, including the schedule.

“It was really hard to get the girls focused with Thanksgiving interrupting, Christmas interrupting, New Year's interrupting,” she said.

“This is the first time we've ever practiced in this gym, which is where we play our home games. We practice in the building I work at, so we never really have the home court advantage. So it's nice to feel like we actually can practice where we play,” she said.

But perhaps most importantly, Section X, like most schools in New York, play volleyball in the fall season, and that's when the state championships are held. The winter programs in Section III can never advance past sectionals.

“I think it's one of those things that you would never ask a male team to play out of season and not be able to compete farther than sectionals. And it's just not fair to girls and the opportunities,” Sidmore said.

For players like Ryleigh Fleming, who's been in the program since the third grade, this move and the opportunity mean something.

“This is something I’ve always dreamed of, like playing and like going on to bigger things. So I think it's just so awesome,” Fleming said.

The move also allows the team to add a few games to its schedule.