A new language, new people, and new sounds surround Sofia Rivas-Micoud. The sophomore, who has come all the way across the world from Madrid, Spain, has been transitioning into life at Redwood and playing on the competitive freshman volleyball team.

Although she is a sophomore, Rivas-Micoud plays on the freshman team this year, due to a lack of spots on the JV team, which disqualifies her from playing in the games. Despite this, Rivas-Micoud said that she has learned a lot from the practices.

The biggest difference that Rivas-Micoud noticed was the level of the competition.

“Here they are more competitive because they’re very good. In Spain, there was not much competition, so it was a little bit more boring,” Rivas-Micoud said.

“It’s very different, the rotations and positions are very different. I’m kind of lost,” Rivas-Micoud said.

Rivas-Micoud has noticed he emphasis Redwood places upon sports, and said that they are much more intense here than at her school in Madrid.

One of her teammates, Neeve Kennedy, said that Rivas-Micoud had some learning to do, and still does, but is improving and making the transition.

“At the beginning it was a little hard for her to understand at first, but now she has the hang of it and she’s very good,” Kennedy said.

The school year so far has been bittersweet for Rivas-Micoud. While she has been enjoying Redwood, she misses her friends and family that she left behind in Madrid.

“The school I like better here than there but there I have all my friends and family,” Rivas-Micoud said.

Rivas-Micoud is spending the year with her cousins in Corte Madera, and plans to return to Madrid at the end of the school year, although she said she might come back to America either or college, senior year, or for a year between college and high schools so that she can become a resident for college.