The Rochester Girls Volleyball program is here and ready to roll. Varsity coach Kallie Green said, “ I would say this group is much more committed, more overall experienced than last year’s group.” She discussed how much the program has progressed since the summer.
Varsity has a winning record of 13-4. Jv has a winning record of 12-5, and Freshman has a winning record of 3-4. They are one-third of the way through the season, and 2 out of the 3 teams have winning records, which shows how much commitment and work they have put into the season. Even though Freshman does not have a winning record, they have still worked hard throughout the season so far. Senior varsity captain Hadleigh Maley said, “ We have gone on a winning streak and our record this year has shown how we play as a team and how we play individually and for each other.” Varsity won the Williamsville tournament against some of their biggest rivals, including Taylorville, to take home first. Taylorville had recently beaten them at home, so winning against them in the Williamsville tournament was another chance to prove that they can do it. Varsity is not the only team bringing home wins!
The JV team has been showing up with winning mentalities. They have challenged every team that they have played, but have always come out with a win or a loss with the mindset that they are not done yet. Freshman Maggie Buecker said, “ JV, we’re playing really well with each other and working as a team.” JV’s bond with each other is “unbreakable”. The JV team is coached by Erin Vincent. She does a great job of keeping the players in check while creating bonds with one another. The players come into practice ready to work matter how their school day went. JV is only going up from here.
The freshman team has been in a “slump,” as Buecker said. They were not working as a team, and everything ended up in deep talks with freshman coach Stephanie Green. Their game against U-High is when the team finally showed what they can be if they work together, not just as a team but as friends. Even though they lost, they put up a good fight and showed remarkable resilience. They proved that they can work together as a team and put up a good fight with anyone.
Postseason for the varsity is looking outstanding. Green mentioned, “The teams we see in postseason are different, but that doesn’t mean we don’t see them in regular season, so our regular season matchups prepare us for that.” With Rocket Volleyball moving down from 4A to 3A, they are not used to this change, but are ready to face these new postseason teams.”
The whole program has deserved this season so far. They are more than just a team; they are friends who get to play a sport that they have dedicated many days to. Celebrating one another’s birthdays, hanging out when they aren’t in the gym, and hanging out at school. This team has had a remarkable season, and win or lose, they have won in being a great program.