Girls Volleyball Charges Into Playoffs Undefeated
Senior Janis Wu serves an aces against Hunter High School at the Cardozo Tournament. Photo: Isaac Cheung
By LEQIAN YU and BELINDA YONG
The girls varsity volleyball team topped James Madison High School 2-0 on October 28, capping an undefeated 10-0 regular season. This is the third straight year that the team has gone undefeated, not counting the year skipped because of quarantine.
Many of the girls are anxious yet optimistic about the playoffs.
“I’m extremely nervous but also excited to see how far we go,” said senior Savanah Wong, a libero. “I’m very hopeful. I think we can make it to the semifinals at least.”
Captain Wilhelmina Morehead '23, an opposite hitter, called the prospect of losing “horrifying,” but is confident the team will pull out the win.
The team expects John Jay Campus to be the biggest challenge that they will go against in the playoffs. “John Jay is definitely our number one competitor,” said senior Isabel Yeow, a setter. “Throughout the season we’ve been exchanging wins and losses [in tournaments].”
The girls placed first at the Metropolitan Tournament and the Fort Hamilton Tournament and placed second at the Cardozo Tournament and the Seward Park Tournament. Anna Voronova ‘23, a middle blocker, credited Coach Tommy Ma’s support, guidance, and strategy for giving the team an edge.
“The wins are very rewarding,” said Voronova. “It shows your hard work” and how it pays off “in a material way.”
The girls won first place at their last tournament at Fort Hamilton High School.
The main difference this year was the change of starters, players said. Seniors held most of the starter positions last year, leaving empty spots for those positions after graduation.
“I'm a starter now, so it’s a lot more pressure on me,” said sophomore Rena Kremer, an outside hitter.
“People I have been playing with for the past three years left,” said captain Janis Wu ‘23, an outside hitter. “I relied a lot on the older players last year. Now I need to step up.”
There are 27 members on the team this year, more than twice the normal amount.
“We have new players on the court,” said senior Melanie Yin, a setter, “so we have to learn how to play, connect, and communicate with them and adapt to new changes.”
“Individually, we’re really strong players,” said Wu. “But as a team, we lack chemistry. We need to bond some more and work better together.”
Mr. Ma had to adjust his practice routine for the larger group. “I have modified a lot of drills to fit a wide range of skill levels,” he said. “This year, I had to spend time teaching them the rotation and game rules.”
It took players some time to perfect their strengths and lessen their weaknesses.
“We started off really weak, definitely not what I expected or what Coach expected either,” said Wu. “But now, we have improved a lot. The energy definitely went up throughout the season. I think everyone can see that, too.”
“I would like to say thank you for everything that [Mr. Ma] has taught me and will keep teaching me,” said Theano Liodakis ‘24, a defensive specialist. “It’s amazing to be on the team.”
Volleyball brought the team together and framed friendships. The girls encouraged each other and backed each other up throughout the season.
“We are all very supportive of one another, whether it’s cheering from the sidelines or bringing someone up from within the court,” said Wong. “Everyone is working hard and everyone is connecting.”
“We all find a way to contribute to the game – even though there are only six of us on court – whether it’s team cheers or huddling during timeouts,” said Yeow.
The team is determined to make it all the way to the finals, but there’s a bigger picture, too.
“This is not just about winning or losing,” said Mr. Ma. “It’s more about how we build a cohesive team culture where everyone can love and support each other. We still have one championship goal to achieve. We are going to make it happen together as a team.”