In a game where every point matters, the girls varsity volleyball team is focused on more than just the scoreboard.
Starting out the season ranked first by The Boston Globe, each game for the team comes with pressure. However, with this pressure comes success. Led by seniors and captains Bella Bacon, Emilie Ferdinand and Josie Ross, the team has hopes for a championship and, as of now, appears to be on its way.
According to Bacon, the team being ranked number one meant they thought this season would be easy.
“We were able to walk in like we are number one, but now we need to play like we’re number one,” Bacon said. “I don’t think that we were in the right mindset.”
According to junior and setter Nora Mullen, the early-season loss against top-ranked Needham pushed the team in the right direction.
“We felt like we had to live up to being number one and that we had to fulfill what everyone thought comes with being number one,” Mullen said. “I’m kind of glad that we lost to Needham because I think it’s a reality check for us that not every game is going to be easy and we do have to fight for every point to win.”
Mullen said that in nature, volleyball is a sport that requires a good mentality and that confidence is crucial for success and consistency.
“Confidence is important to have together as a team. It’s not an individual thing,” Mullen said. “We have to rely on trust with everyone on the team to get the ball up and to not make mistakes and just be there for each other when we do.”
According to junior and defensive specialist Noga Naveh, who has been on the volleyball team since her freshman year, the team’s attitude on the court has a huge impact on their results.
“We all try to rely on each other as teammates, we all try to obviously keep a positive attitude on the court,” Naveh said. “Obviously, that doesn’t always happen[… ]when you lose your confidence, you can lose the set, even a game because of it.”
To build trust in one another, the volleyball team works towards being friends on and off the court, Bacon said. Team dinners, family events and fun practices all help the team build these bonds.
“I think, overall, a lot of us have been playing together for so long that we’ve created that bond over so many years,” Bacon said.
According to Bacon, while needing to maintain trust within the team is a necessity, the close relationship with their coaches goes a long way.
“The connection with our coaching staff is also something we try to work on a lot, trying to be super vocal and really honest if we don’t like that drill, we don’t understand what’s going on, just being super vocal,” Bacon said.
According to Mullen, who was on the team last year when the team made it to the state championships, the team has a multitude of goals for the season.
“I think a goal for a lot of us is to win States,” Mullen said. “A lot of people also just want to have fun, bond on the team and just have a fun season overall.”
