Set for Success: Girls Volleyball Shines in Regular Season

Alice Kalenchuk ‘28 goes for a kill in a 2-0 win over Brooklyn Tech on Oct 7. *Photo: Continental Studios*

By SILVIA FENG and DAVID SAMPSON

The Girls Volleyball team was able to secure a big win against Brooklyn Tech on October 30 in their last game of the regular season, bringing their final record to 8-2, good for second place in the 3A division behind only John Jay Campus.

John Jay has dealt the Hornets their only two losses this year, most recently on October 15, when Midwood was missing two of its starters. Both Monica Fan ‘26, a setter and right side hitter, and Rena Kremer ‘25, outside hitter, had been injured during the game. However, Kremer played through the pain.

“We had just lost our other setter [Fan] and I didn’t want to be next,” said Kremer. “I feel like once I realized I was hurt, my mind kind of shut down and I didn’t play as well as I could’ve. At the end of the day, John Jay is a hard team, and I wanted to help as much as I could.”

The Hornets sadly couldn’t keep up with the pace of the game, losing the match 2-0 with set scores of 25-13 and 25-16. “Our communication and effort could’ve been better,” said Folasade Olosunde ‘25, a middle blocker and right side hitter. “I feel as though we play a lot better when we’re not in our heads.”

However, the team bounced back strongly with four straight wins to end the season, including two against Edward R. Murrow.

The girls took the October 30 match against Brooklyn Tech 2-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-15), behind five aces and eight kills from freshman Alice Kalenchuk and 20 assists from Fan. Olasunde was big on defense with five blocks, and Kremer and senior Mei Sze also came up big.

The season began on August 19 with pre-season training and tryouts before moving to practice after school, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. most weekdays, and sometimes on Sunday when needed.

“[Practice is] rigorous, a good mix of conditioning and drills,” said Olosunde. “We always start with our dynamic warm ups before we go into serving and then our drills that are usually catered to things we need to improve on.”

The team has stuck together through the season’s ups and downs, with the class of 2025 stepping up.

“We have a group of very good seniors with lots of experience,” Coach Tommy Ma said. “All of them have taken on leadership roles. Since we have a lot of freshmen this year, the girls have implemented buddy systems to help guide the newcomers.”

“Last year was really a rebuilding season,” Mr. Ma explained. “This season is more consistent because more of the starters have experience from last year, and we have quite a few freshmen who all have talent and potential.”

Besides the action on the court, the team has also been a place to find a community of people who share similar passions.

“It brings me so much comfort because I can share the love that I have for the sport with others and be comforted when I have a rough game or an amazing game and anything in between,” said Olosunde.

“I appreciate being able to make friends with the people on my team,” said Kremer. “Especially being a starter, it improves the chemistry that we have.”

“I think it’s really good to have connections with people who share your interests,” said Valerie Yakhnin ‘25, libero. “It gives you an avenue to make lifelong friendships.”

Senior Night on October 29 highlighted the Class of ‘25’s impact on the team, as the players’ high school careers come to a close.

“I’m most proud of making it to the playoffs last season, even though we had injured players,” said Yakhnin. “I felt like we persevered through a lot of challenges. I’m also proud that I got the Best Defender Award last year; it felt validating that my coach could recognize my strengths.”

“My main focus this year is making memories and making it to the playoffs,” said Kremer. “I also want to guide the underclassmen, to help build their teamwork and keep up Midwood’s reputation.”

“I’m really proud of what the team has accomplished,” said Phoebe Huang ‘25, the squad’s manager. “Seeing how far they’ve come shows dedication.”

“I’m hopeful for the playoffs; I hope we can win,” said Chloe Eng ‘25, a defensive specialist and libero. “We just need to improve our defense and I think we’ll make it through.”

The team is determined to make it all the way to the finals with the help of their supportive coach. The biggest obstacle in their way is likely rival John Jay, who is still undefeated in the standings.

“I have high expectations for the team this year,” said Mr. Ma. “I think we’ve shown ourselves to be a tough team in this division.”