Girls Volleyball Takes 10-0 Record to Finals
The team’s last trip to the finals was in 2016. Photo: Continental Studios
By DIANA ANISHCHANKA and ESTEPHANIE CABRERA
The girls volleyball team rode a perfect 10-0 regular season record all the way to finals this year before falling to John Jay High School 2-0 at Queens College on November 21.
This was the first time since 2016 the team had made it to the finals. Mr. Tommy Ma, the team's coach, said, “We had high expectations and really wanted to win the championship.”
“The pressure on the court is very strong,” libero Savanah Wong ‘23 said. “You honestly just have to stay tough. If you mess up a point, you have to move.”
The team played John Jay previously this year in scrimmages and tournaments. The first game was at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School on September 17, where they ended up winning 2-0. They played John Jay twice more after that, on September 23 and October 2, losing 2-1 both times.
John Jay has always been pretty strong competition, according to the players. “They’re a tough team,” said right side hitter Michelle Murillo ‘23. “They’re all 6’ or 7’ girls, they play with strategy, and they’re great at what they do.”
The second set started out strong, with the Hornets up by seven points. Captain Janis Wu ‘23 got over four service points in a row to bring the score to 10-3. As our front hitters such as Anna Voronova ‘23 and Rena Kremer ‘25 kept earning points, the defensive side players had to constantly battle with tips and kills. Setter Melanie Yin ‘23 and captain and right side hitter Wilhemina Morehead ‘23 made great, quick saves that resulted in long rallies. On a tie at 18-18, captain and middle blocker Emma Boggins ‘23 smashed the ball to get Midwood up by one point and back in the lead once again.
After losing in the semifinals last year, the players were proud of making it a step further this year. “This is definitely a good experience for not only the players, but also for me as a coach, moving forward,” said Mr. Ma.
“Finals were definitely exciting, but mostly stressful,” said Morehead. “We have never been there, none of us, not even our coach, so it's entirely unknown and you never know how it's going to go.”
“We didn't win this year, but everyone on the team has learned a valuable lesson,” said Mr. Ma. “If we ever get the chance to play in the finals again, hopefully we will approach it with a different mentality.”
The girls beat Hunter College High School on November 16 in the quarterfinals by a score of 2-0. Then they topped Susan Wagner 2-0 in the semifinals on November 18 to advance all the way to the championship.
All season, the teammates worked collectively towards a shared goal. “Going to practice six days a week definitely helped us improve,” said Morehead. “Everyone put so much time and effort into this sport that everyone got better and everyone got mentally and physically stronger.”
Players said that setting goals, managing conflict, resolving issues positively, and creating an atmosphere of trust were key to their season. “We are always dedicated to practice,” said Theano Liodakis ‘24, the team's defensive specialist. “We want to practice more and more, and that's how we show off our strength.”
The team has “really good chemistry,” said Boggins. “We are all friends outside of volleyball, so it made our connection on the court so much better.”
Liodakis said, “Our mentality got stronger each and every game that we played.” The players need to “know how to block off everything and don't let themselves get into their own heads,” she added.
The team was on a roll after its first two tournaments, Mr. Ma said, with the defense and offense playing together really smoothly. The girls got to experience playing scrimmages with private high schools such as Poly Prep and Avenues. Their third and fourth tournaments were also played at a very high level. Overall, the team placed first in seven tournaments.
Isabel Yeow ‘23 sets up the ball for the hitters at the semi finals against Susan Wagner High School at the Midwood Gym. Photo: Kenisha O’Loughlin
The players acknowledged Mr. Ma’s coaching as a big part of why their season went so well.
“He really knows our team and how to strategize every play,” said Yin. “I wouldn’t have been the player I am today if I didn't have him as a coach.”
Wong said, “He helped me improve so much, and he gives really good advice.”
The team practices six days a week, three hours each day. They’re very cardio intensive and start off warmups with sprints. The team runs a lot of game-like situations, said Anna Voronova ‘23, the team's middle blocker.
“Practices are tough,” Murillo said. “They involve a lot of self-discipline, but it makes you a better person.”
There were 27 members on the team this year, more than twice the normal amount, leading to some crowded warmups.
“We only have some returners that are highly experienced,” Mr. Ma said. “A lot of new players don't have that game knowledge and need to learn the basics.” But most of the starting line up were seniors who “definitely have their values” and were able to “carry the team” and set “great examples for future players,” he added.
Senior Night brought old and new together for a special moment. The underclassman threw a surprise party for the departing seniors and created a poster for each senior on the team to celebrate them.
“Everything was so perfect – the posters, the cookies, just everything the underclassmen did for us,” Wong said. “It was so, so fun.”
The senior players felt emotional about the end of the season. “It’s like the end of an era,” Boggins said.
“It's going to be tough,” said Mr. Ma. “Our seniors have a lot of talent, but I do think our younger classmates have built a strong foundation in the past two years. We have a lot of potential, but we need to put in the work on our skills offseason in order to come back next year really strong.”