Gallery • 5 Photos

media by Quinn Barton

Morgan Buston ‘25 passes a ball during warm up before the game against Columbine Sept. 7. “I’ve been on varsity for two years now and we’ve had a similar warmup routine both years,” Buston said.

It’s 6:30 a.m. Warm-up music starts to play, the lights get brighter and you know it’s game time.

You spend the day doing your typical game day routine. It started from the moment you woke up to when you stepped on the court for the first time. The whole day has led up to this moment, so you know it’s time to show everyone what you came to do.

You win the game.

Then, the next thing you know it’s three days later, and it’s time to start your routine again.

Humans are creatures of habit. Throughout our lives, we develop routines, whether it’s how we get ready for a normal school day, a school dance, or the next rivalry game. 

However, athletes tend to take things further. They will stick to their game day so specifically that it becomes crucial to how it will affect their ability to play. It can even create superstitions among different players and teams. 

Every student-athlete has a story of where they come from and how they do things through each day, but what each of them has in common is their strict and specific game day routine, whether it’s riding together to the game or going to their favorite restaurant with their teammates before the big game. 

This is Morgan Buston’s ‘25 game day routine.

Buston, a varsity girls volleyball player, is a defensive specialist (DS) and setter. Buston gets ready for games as soon as she wakes up in the morning by dressing up or wearing team merch, depending on if it is a home or away game. 

After this, she goes through her classes and gets lunch with her other teammates. At lunch, Buston will always order herself a Dr. Pepper: she believes it is essential to her gameplay, especially in rivalry games.

“I have to have at least one Dr. Pepper before a game, usually multiple,” Buston said. 

This tradition began when she started playing on varsity her sophomore year. 

At the end of the school day, Buston grabs her volleyball bag from her car and starts to get dressed for the game. After she and the other team members are dressed, they watch the lower levels play and cheer them on. 

Next in Buston’s game day routine, they go to a separate room and meet to discuss lineups and other game information. Then, they have a dance party. 

“We usually have like a big speaker and we start blasting music and having a dance party in the locker room 15 minutes before. That’s a really good way to get pumped up for the game,” Buston said. “This portion of my routine is extremely important. It helps me get connected to my teammates and truly get our heads in the zone. It also provides us with good luck and now it has become a superstition that if we don’t do this we will play badly, or lose.”

The game started at 7 p.m. Now, at 9 p.m. Buston has celebrated with her friends and family, helped take down nets and put away concessions.

After the long routine, it is finally time to go home and get rest–before she starts all over again the next game day. 

See below for the team’s schedule.