A rough season doesn’t mean the Old Rochester Regional varsity volleyball girls are going to stick their heads in the sand. Instead, the team got together and organized a game to help fight cancer.

The varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen teams wore pink shirts, hand printed by mom Dawn Underhill, as well as pink shoelaces and headbands for their games against Fairhaven High School on Wednesday evening.

The girls, with Underhill and team moms Melissa Desjardins and Deb Nicolosi, organized the event.

Seniors Curran Desjardins, Arissa Underhill, and Juliana Nicolosi stressed the importance of giving back as a team.

“I really enjoy this game the most out of the whole year. This is the time that we get to give back,” said Desjardins.

Nicolosi agreed.

“We try to do everything pink,” she said. “All the girls on the team, we really look forward to it. We love preparing for it. We love playing it, and we love knowing that we’re playing for a good cause.”

Cancer strikes home for many members of the team, said the girls.

“I have people who have cancer in my family. It’s a big deal,” said Arissa.

In addition to decorating the gym, the girls and their parents brought baked goods to help raise money for cancer research and held a raffle. The girls raised $350 through the evening.

Proceeds from the fundraisers will go to a breast cancer research organization to be determined.