Girls Volleyball Advances to Second Round of Playoffs

Theano Liodakis ‘24 receives a tough serve from Townsend Harris on September 25 during a Tri-match. *Photo: Otto Liang*

By ENIAN MANI, YASEEN ELGEZEIRY, and DAVID SAMPSON

The Girls Volleyball team was looking forward to another successful run in the playoffs after a first round, 2-0 victory against Long Island City on November 6. However, the team didn’t advance past the second round, falling 2-0 to Susan Wagner on November 9.

The playoffs started strong for Midwood, as they dominated Long Island City in a class act display, with top-scoring players Theano Liodakis ‘24 and Mei Sze ‘25 totaling ten aces and nine kills to finish off the second set 19-7, compared to Long Island City, who totaled three aces and six kills as a team. Midwood also edged past the Bulldogs in the first set, with Sze sealing off the set with an ace.

“We were excited that we could move on to the next playoff round and continue our season,” said libero Valerie Yakhnin ‘25.

“After beating Long Island City in the first round, we were feeling accomplished as we beat them in straight sets,” setter Monica Fan ‘26 said. “Though at the same time, I knew it was only the beginning and we had to keep fighting.”

Despite hopes of claiming the PSAL championship once and for all, it was the end of the road for the Hornets in the next round, where they lost to Wagner on the opponent's court.

The Wagner and Midwood girls teams also met last year, where Midwood put them down 2-0 to advance to the finals after making an impressive undefeated run in the regular season. However, the Hornets’ luck ran out this time.

“Even though we lost, we still fought for every point,” said Folasade Olosunde ‘25, a middle blocker. “Everybody left their energy on the court and gave it their best; we just happened to fall short.”

Before the game against Wagner, starter Rena Kremer '25, an outside hitter, suffered an injury that prevented her from playing. Liodakis, the team captain, said the circumstances led to “overthinking and letting the game get to our heads."

“I definitely think we had it in us,” Liodakis said. “We just kept making little mistakes because we were nervous.”

“Although we lost against Susan Wagner we played hard and don’t regret anything,” outside hitter Nicole Chen ‘26 said. “The game taught us a lot about keeping a strong mindset.”

The team ended their regular season 7-3, a strong showing that started with their first game on September 19, when Midwood destroyed All City Leadership Secondary 2-0. Liodakis and Fan, a setter, were the obvious MVPs of the game. Liodakis had six kills, and Fan racked up 18 assists.

With wins against Roosevelt, New Utrecht, and Murrow throughout the season, the team secured an overall third place tie with Fort Hamilton in PSAL Division A.

In one of the team’s finest regular season performances this year, the girls blazed past James Madison 2-0, with Michelle Murillo and Fan totaling seven aces, 19 assists, and five kills to sail through the second set 25-14.

Without counting the 2020-2021 season that was skipped due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Girls Volleyball had been undefeated for three straight seasons, an impressive streak that ended this year.

Why didn’t the team dominate as much as in their past three campaigns? The graduation of many of the team’s senior players may be to blame. But going forward, Yakhnin suggested that the girls just need to work on “communication and chemistry.”

“Next year I hope to adjust to new players on the court and have a bond with the new starters,” she said.

Coach Tommy Ma said the team needed more experience and more practice with the fundamentals. “We lacked consistency throughout the season due to these reasons,” he said.

Patience as players develop is important. “We over-critique ourselves over our mistakes, and we don’t realize that we need them to help us grow,” Olosunde said.

Yakhnin said Mr. Ma has “implemented a ton of practices that helped us improve our skills.”

Liodakis said, “He helped me find a way to become a leader off the court and be able to connect with my team.”

For now, the players are hell-bent on making a comeback next year. They are currently evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and ensuring their team is in the best shape possible to return to dominating form in the fall.