Liam McDermott ’29
Arianna Place ’29
Photo courtesy of EA Communications
This fall, volleyball officially began its inaugural season as an upper school sport, setting another historic first after being introduced as a middle school sport for the first time last year. For its first year, the program was organized into two JV teams: Blue and White, with the Blue team competing in matches. Through their dedication to both the sport and each other, the team was able to persevere past growing pains and successfully begin a new chapter of EA athletics.
As the inaugural season began, so did a period of uncertainty. Assistant Coach Nicole Dennis vividly remembers walking into the team’s first practice wondering, “Do we have girls that have some skill? Do we have girls that have never played? Do we have athletic girls?” Though they “had players that first touched a volleyball in August at preseason,” Head Coach Rachel Scott explains, they also had players who “have been playing for years.” The team also faced challenges outside of personnel issues; Coach Scott remembers experiencing troubles with “space and equipment” early on in the season. But despite the team’s inexperience and other minor hiccups, the team was committed and driven to succeed from the very first practice. “The culture within our team was always positive. There was never any negativity,” states Captain Izzy Favini.
The team’s uplifting spirit eventually led to key breakthroughs. When reflecting on their first game against Agnes Irwin, Favini states, “We were down 9 to 20 in the second set, so we were actually about to lose the whole game. Then we came back and we won [the set], and then we won the whole game. That was definitely a good defining moment for our team.” This early victory over AIS helped establish a team culture built around perseverance. Even against teams that, as Favini puts it, “have been playing together for probably four years,” the team never faltered.
As the season wore on, the team steadily improved. “It didn’t always go perfect, but we improved a lot together. We definitely figured out how to communicate to make sure we [didn’t] get confused,” Favini states. Coach Dennis asserts, “I think the girls’ skills have absolutely improved [and] the way the girls work together has improved. As far as starting a new program and a whole bunch of new girls never playing with each other before, [the season] has been amazing.” Along with improving their skills, Coach Scott also placed a heavy emphasis on “team building,” aiming to establish a strong, cohesive team culture that forms lasting bonds between athletes.
Throughout the season, the team came to embrace their imperfections, continuously learning from their mistakes to push their limits. Coach Dennis states, “The defining moments were probably our weakest moments, like when we felt down or when things weren’t going our way. Those are always the most teachable moments.”
Overall, volleyball had an impressive first season with players’ skills and levels of enthusiasm improving across the roster. “This JV team has proved and set these standards even higher,” claims assistant coach Jennifer Barkoski.
Looking ahead to next season, the volleyball program plans to introduce its first varsity team. Coach Scott states, “the main goals for next season are building on this year’s foundation [and] introducing our program to the varsity level.”
Athletic Director Todd Fairlie envisions a future for the volleyball program where other schools in the Inter-Ac “won’t even remember that we didn’t have [a team].” He says, “In a few years, when we have time to get a whole group of kids through and—and bring some new kids on—[the goal] is to be like every other sport: to be competitive for a league championship.”
As the volleyball program continues to build on its successful foundation for the future, the team will continue to improve. They will continue to develop both their skill and team culture while in the process attracting even more EA athletes to the sport. Volleyball’s future is bright, and it is well on its way to becoming a staple in the EA community.