The girls varsity volleyball team is off to strong start, leading the season with eight wins and three losses, with seven more matches to go.
They played Ethel Walker School on Wednesday Sept. 25 and it was a game worth watching. The girls played with heart and grit, which led them to the impressive 3-0 win. They then played at home on Saturday Sept. 28 against Suffield Academy. It was a great game and went down to the wire, but the girls managed to pull the 3-1 win. Their winning streak continued as they went on the road on Wednesday Oct. 2 against Marianapolis Preparatory School where they played hard and took the game 3-0. They then played at home on Saturday Oct. 5 against King.
The audience was on the edge of their seats as this game was a nailbiter. But, despite the team’s valiant effort, they could not come away with the win and lost 2-3. They came back from the loss with positivity and determination to perform even harder in the following games.
This clearly showed in their next game against Westover School on Monday Oct. 7 as they impressively won 3-1. They then went on the road again on Saturday Oct. 12 against Pomfret School. This game was also a close one with many exciting moments. The girls battled hard and won 3-1.
Head Coach Scott McDonald said that this was one of those matches where the girls were up and down and then finally up again. He said that the team struggled at times with combating Pomfret’s serving as Pomfret had great servers, but the team never gave up on plays, keeping hope alive.
They then went to Worcester Academy on Wednesday Oct. 16. The team fought hard but eventually lost 3-1. The team also racked up an impressive 3-0 win against Kent School on Hewett Day, Saturday Oct. 20.
Coach McDonald said that the strength of the team this year is the team’s determination and grit. This has been proven by numerous matches where the team bounces back in a match after being down. “We had a number of sets this season where we were behind in the set and then came back to win it by working through adversity,” Coach McDonald said.
Last season going into Hewett Day, the team had a record of 5-2, and now before Hewett Day the team’s record is 7-2. Coach McDonald said he believes that it is because of the team’s strong offense. According to Coach McDonald, even though the team’s offense is fantastic, the girls still need to work on defense as a whole. He said that individual players are working on their skills. “The team has improved a lot defensively, but they still need to work on working together on defense and covering the court based on what the opposition is doing,” Coach McDonald said.
The goal of the team is to reach their maximum potential both as a team and individually, which should not be a problem if they continue doing what they have been doing: working hard in practice and competing with intensity. Coach McDonald said that junior Co-captain Sydney Smith is an influential offensive player on the court. “Sydney Smith is our strongest offensive player and contributes to the team in all aspects, no matter where she is,” Coach McDonald said. He also said that senior Co-captain Kathryn Westrick is doing a fantastic job as a setter.
He further mentioned that sophomore Mackenzie Caruso is great as a libero, which is a defensive specialist. He said Caruso has wonderfully adjusted to this difficult position despite this being her first season on the varsity team.
“This year’s team is having a great season because of their team chemistry and everybody works together well,” Coach McDonald said. “They support each other and have fun playing together. I think that we are discovering that this is a really good team, but we still need to put in the work to have a great season.”
