Following an 11-3 regular season in 2015 that was cut short in the second round of the playoffs, the girls’ volleyball team seeks redemption as they come into the 2016 season hungry for success.
The season opener against rival Churchill on Sept. 7 was a less than ideal way to start-off the season, as the girls lost 3-1. The Patriots kept the Bulldogs on a leash in the first set, winning 25-20 and taking a 1-0 lead in the match, but after that, the Bulldogs took the driver’s seat, winning the second set 25-13, and the third set 25-14.
The Patriots battle to keep the match alive came to down to the wire, but when the dust settled, Churchill prevailed 25-22 and won the match by a score of 3-1.
It’s natural for a team to experience some hiccups in the infancy of a season, but according to junior outside hitter Chanel Lucas, the main problem the team ran into during the Churchill match was not about the fundamentals.
“I believe we should have played with more energy than we did. We have been working diligently on becoming a cohesive team that brings a ton of energy and enthusiasm to the court,” Lucas said.
The girls played Walter Johnson on Sept. 12, but the match was played too late to be covered in this issue. Walter Johnson was 7-7 in 2015, and the Patriots beat them in straight sets last season, so there are hopes to repeat that performance and open up the win column.
With the season opener behind them and the girls’ record being 0-1 as of Sept. 11, the girls’ upcoming schedule beyond the Walter Johnson match sees them facing Poolesville on Sept. 15, Einstein on Sept. 20 and then Paint Branch on Sept. 22.
All three teams finished with worse overall records than the Patriots in 2015, and the Patriots beat all three teams head-to-head by a combined match score of 9-1.
Last year’s results indicate the girls will be strolling in greener pastures by the end of the month, but teams are constantly changing, each year bringing a new season.
The girls are preparing themselves for every situation to ensure they will be elevated in the standings by the time the Churchill Invitational rolls around on Sept. 24.
“We have been doing a lot of conditioning to get in top shape for this season.
Our goal in our practices is to be as aggressive as possible so we are comfortable enough to make tough plays during our games,” senior captain and right side hitter Madison Adore said.
The girls will face countless tests as they forge ahead through the season, and the road to the championships will surely be extensive and demanding, but the girls are up to the task.
“The only thing we can do now is learn from our mistakes, take note of all of the many things we did right, and move forward to a great season,” Lucas said.
Joe Pohoryles
JV Sports Editor
