By Sammie Spillman ’16

Last season, the girls’ volleyball team made it to Ritchie Coliseum for the 4A state semi-finals where they were defeated in three sets by Severna Park. The 2014 playoff run was the latest for a volleyball program that won three state championships from 2011-2013. In the wake of all that success, there were predictions this year that the Sherwood girls’ volleyball program was in decline and for the first time in years, the Washington Post did not rank Sherwood among the top 10 teams in the area. The 2015 team entered the season with something to prove.

The Warriors began the season by winning three consecutive non-conference games against Springbrook (25-10, 25-9, 25-5), Paint Branch (25-6, 25-18, 25-21), and Gaithersburg (25-11, 25-20, 23-25, 26-24). After the stern test against the Trojans, the Warriors opened conference play with a 26-16, 25-20, 25-19 straight-set win over Whitman.

“The season has been going great. We have a lot of chemistry this year that allows us to communicate better on the court,” said junior Megan Wilson. “I think the thing that really sets us apart from other teams is the fact that we adapt to each team we play. If [junior] Kaiya [Heyliger-Powell] needs to block on the right side, we are able to make the switch fast and efficiently, making us an all-around deceptive team. We are aggressive offensively and defensively and our mental toughness also contributes to our success in difficult situations.”

A true test for Sherwood came when playing Churchill on September 24, where they were pushed to their limits before losing in three sets, 25-13, 25-19, and 25-13. Following this upset, the girls came back and pushed through to win four consecutive games against Walter Johnson (25-12, 25-18, 25-22), Blair (25-12, 25-20, 25-17) Northwood (25-14, 25-19, 25-8), and BCC on October 10, 25-20, 25-15, and 25-17. The 9-1 Warriors have won in three straight sets in eight of their nine victories.

Even with this success, the Warriors are still looking to build on their skills and make another trip to Richie Stadium. “We’re half way through the season now and we are still looking to improve,” said Coach Ben Sanger. “We continue to get better and hoping to get healthy for the real tough part of our schedule.”

This past Tuesday, the girls faced Northwest, a huge competitor and rival, which tested the team and their ability to face tough opponents as the season comes close to an end, and playoffs start up. “This is a huge game for us so we are really working hard on executing our game plan and playing as a team,” said senior Alex Greenbaum. “Every day we go into practice with the goal to get better and work hard.”