Adam Pfeiffer ‘20

The girls’ varsity volleyball team entered this season with high hopes, coming off a run to the state finals in 2016, and a trip to the state semis in 2017, losing to Northwest both years. However, the team had a rude awakening with two tough losses to Wootton and unbeaten, and highly ranked B-CC, to open the season. The girls rallied and came together to rattle off five wins in a row. Senior captain Emma Eustace credited the turnaround to a major mindset switch. “All of the girls believed we could have won those games … we just did not give them our all. We have worked so much harder in practices so we could win the last five games,” Eustace said

The team has been motivated by trying to build off their previous successes, and they have the pieces to do it, returning a group of girls that graduated just four seniors. Losing only four seniors means that a majority of these girls felt the agonizing defeat to Northwest last season in the playoffs. That is a big motivator, and according to Eustace, “our drive to win games is similar… it may be a little bit greater this year.”

The girls have been grinding through grueling practices since the summer, run under new coach Sydney West. This team is hungry constantly working towards the goal of a state title. One player in particular, Anna Roberts, has been key to the Warriors’ recent successes, due to her high volleyball IQ matched with talent.

The path to the state semis is not an easy task for anybody, and these girls are no different. They opened their season against a very tough Wootton team and played hard, falling in 5 sets. The schedule did not let up from there, as the played the aforementioned Barons of B-CC. The girls, however, have embraced the challenge, and anticipate the October 4 game at tenth-ranked Magruder, a game that can be used as a measuring stick of how much work there is left to do.