Varsity Girls Volleyball Jumped into a Late Season

While some sports were able to play during their designated season, other sports, like girls volleyball, were not as fortunate. In the fall, the team was delivered the devastating news that their season has been pushed back to February 2021. After a long five months of waiting, and a tiring week of tryouts, the girls had their first game of the season on March 20, against Wayne Valley.

Coach Brian Phillips and seniors and captains, Katherine Bennorth, Paige Dammers, Precious Star, Alexis Shabrack and Emily Weinpel are ready to start playing!

You Win Some, and You Lose Some

The team had lost their first game with a score of 25-16 for the first set and 25-17 for the second set. When asked about the game, Coach Phillips said, “Our first game was a bit of a struggle. We had only had three practices before the game and it showed, but we did a lot of good things that showed our potential.”

Aside from losing their first game, the team came back with a victory, on March 27, against Lakeland’s rivals, West Milford. The score for the first set was 25-22 West Milford, the second set was 25-23 Lakeland, and for the third set was 25-17 Lakeland. Although the team had won this game, Coach Phillips mentioned how they “still are a work in progress as a team.”

Although the team has had a rough start to their season, the girls still have high hopes for what is to come.

Thoughts on the Team

At the beginning of the season, Coach Phillips mentioned, “We have a lot of potential to be a good team but with a small amount of practice time we need to [gel] quickly.” He adds that if they’re able to gel the team will have a very successful season. When asked about strengths and weaknesses, Coach Phillips says again that the team has to work on “coming together.” Luckily, this year’s team has a lot of “depth and skill at each position.”

The captains’ thoughts on their team are all in agreement with each other. Bennorth says, “I think any successful team needs to have a certain level of scrappiness. We find ways to keep the ball in play…our teamwork in those scrappy moments is one of our defining qualities.” Like Bennorth, Shabrack says their adaptability is one of their strong qualities. The team is great at “adapting to difficult serves or spikes by changing our defensive positioning on the court.”

The Seniors’ Past and Future

Coach Phillips has been coaching these girls for almost all four years and sees immense growth in them. He says, “They have improved each season and gotten better with their skills.” 

The girls acknowledge the growth amongst each other. “We have all become much closer friends and have built skill and trust on the court. We love playing together even when we don’t do too well.” says Dammers. 

Bennorth adds, “Playing with my friends is the best feeling in the world.” 

When asked about playing in college, answers varied. Many of them plan on playing, while a few have decided to end their careers here.