Sophomore Lola Peck has found success easily during her developing volleyball career. Both on and off the court for the Wyverns, her presence is always felt. As her own biggest critic, she frequently reflects on her performance so she can learn for the next opponent.
Helping the varsity volleyball team climb to a 12-5 record this year, Peck in her second year on the varsity team saw action in 15 of the 17 games, missing two due to an injury. Of the 12 victories, the Wyverns only had to play five sets once; the other 11 were dominating 3-0 and 3-1 wins.
The game she still thinks about most, the one she didn’t even see action in, was on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The Wyverns faced off against New England’s best, Loomis Chaffee. Rounded out with a loss in Hewett Gymnasium, the Wyverns were outmatched.
Heading into the days leading up to it, Peck knew she would not be able to suit up and take the court. So, she watched film on most of the Loomis Chaffee players and created notes about their tendencies and formations. “One of my teammates was just looking at the name Loomis and they just said we’re just going to lose so badly because of how good they are,” Peck said. “But then I started watching some film, taking notes on the hitters and things like that. I just really talked my team out of their state of mind of just thinking that they’re going to lose.”
Lola’s dedication to the sport does not go unnoticed by her teammates. “Lola brings so much to the team,” senior captain Allie Arcaro shared. “Even during the games when she couldn’t play, she was always cheering us on and giving us helpful advice.”
In her final game of the year, the Wyverns traveled up to Boston to face off against a fierce Dexter Southfield team. Heading into the game, Peck was unsure of how well the team would start off because of a very long bus ride. But, her floor coverage combined with her consistent serving allowed the Wyverns to walk away with a 3-1 victory to cap off a solid season. “As soon as I started serving, I went on a seven-point run,” she said. “I hustled a lot when it came to digging out lower-hit balls. I made some smart plays on the net. I felt like it wasn’t a great blocking game, but I was very consistent.”
Outside of school, Peck plays for the club team, Husky Volleyball, a premier club out of Newington that is the host to teams for all ages. Last year, she played for the Husky high-performance northeast team, which consists of travel all across New England and the Mid-Atlantic. This year, she plans on competing for the National team, which spends the summer weeks traveling to a number of different Western and Southern cities for tournaments. Congratulations to Peck and the varsity volleyball team on a great season.
