As a team with only five returning players, Girls Varsity Volleyball knew they had their work cut out for them if they wanted to defend their New England Championship this year. The team was able to come together quickly, going 8-2 through ten games and playing their way into the conversation for the best team in New England. The early season was anything but a cakewalk though, as the team had trouble relying on more inexperienced players. Co-captain Elyse Cornwall ’18 explained, “At the beginning of the season, the players who were on the court were the only ones who were ready to play. Nobody else was comfortable on the court, so we relied on our starting six heavily, and so there was a lot of pressure on those players.”
Now the team is able to rely more heavily on newer players, which allows their starters to rest more, leaving the team with more energy late in games, as evidenced by their recent five-set win over Loomis Chaffee. Head Coach David Loeb praised the newer players for their ability to learn quickly and step into bigger roles. He praised two new students in particular, saying, “Kiki Kim ’20 and Blake Midgen ’19 are both new setters. It’s really hard to play setter and have that much responsibility when you’re new to the team and new to the community, but both of them are doing great.”
Coach Loeb also praised the leadership of the returners and their ability to help teach the newer players. “The leadership of the seniors, and in fact all the returners from last year’s championship team, has been great. It’s nice to have people who know how to win a championship,” he said. As the girls prepare for the final stretch of their season, they must continue to improve every day, something Coach Loeb, preaches. He said on the topic, “By the end of the season, everybody is good, and you win the championship by continuing to improve and by getting hot for a week in November.”
But before the playoffs, they will have one last match on Deerfield Day to prove to everyone that they are ready to play their best volleyball and defend their title. Deerfield’s poor record of 5-9 this year includes losses to teams that Choate beat 3-0 like Hotchkiss, Covenant of the Sacred Heart, and Hopkins. Despite this record, the matchup between Deerfield and Choate is always a tough one. Coach Loeb described the challenges of playing the rivalry game, “Deerfield is always exciting even if we’re strong and they’re weak. The crowd becomes a factor, and we play early in the day. Also, the emotions of Deerfield Day make it a challenge even if it’s a mismatch. We have never lost to them, at least not in fifteen years or so, but it’s always a good game.”
The team seems mentally ready though. Zeynep Ozturk ’19, said of the game, “There is a rise in spirit because of the rivalry between Deerfield and Choate. We have a reputation to maintain. That said, we are out for blood.” It is obvious that no one on the team will be taking a win at Deerfield for granted, and that will be something they need to continue throughout the playoffs. While the motivation is there for this team, it will be interesting to see if they can overcome their early season challenges and successfully defend their title.