photo by Peter Warren

   “You’re going to sweat a lot,” Coach Adrienne Stack says to her varsity volleyball players during practice. Stack emphasizes not wasting time and going tougher against opponents.

    Playing on the girls volleyball team requires a perfect combination of teamwork, effort and determination.

    “I think the dynamic is very strong,” Stack said. “I think there is a mutual respect that is there. I think they genuinely like to be around each other. I think that does translate back on the court.”

   Stack expects her players to play at their highest level at every game.

    “There were moments of greatness [in our last scrimmage], where we executed movements perfectly,” Stack said. “Then there were other moments when we let the team back in and they scored a lot of points. But it was based on our inability to want to finish our set.”

    Seniors and co-captains Callen Leahy and Stephanie Ponterio have high expectations for their team this season.

    “I think we have really good camaraderie between the team so I think we’re going to have a really nice, strong team,” Leahy said. “There are a lot of younger players, so I think there’s going to be a lot of potential to grow as players.”

     Ponterio added, “I also think a huge team goal is to stay in every match mentally and to make sure we are always checked in.”

   The captains are also looking to improve their personal performances in order to better the team as a whole.

    “My personal goal is just to step up as a leader for the team, make sure that we’re in sync and that we’re all together in every point and in every play just so we can all be a cohesive team,” Ponterio said.

    The team is excited for the “Pink Out” – a high-energy game against rival team Westfield in which freshman, JV, and varsity teams compete to raise money for breast cancer.

    “Pink Out is going to be super fun. It’s always super intense,” junior Hannah Finan said. “If you are reading this, you should come watch because there are always a lot of people and it’s always more fun when there are more people.”

   Stack is excited for the season and believes the team has the potential to have a very successful season.

   “I think they have the ability to win and challenge themselves,” Stack said. “It’s just a matter of mental toughness to fight through the adversity and to win when it’s not easy.