Despite working hard all season in order to earn a high playoff seed and gain home-court advantage in the playoffs, the girls’ volleyball team’s season is over after a tough loss to Barnegat in the second round of playoffs. As part of the Liberty Division this year, the Lady Pirates finished with an overall 13-14 record and was the first girls volleyball team in CHS history to play a five-set match at home and win.
According to junior hitter Makayla Sheker, the team had to overcome many challenges this season, including injuries, which required every player to step up and contribute to the team’s success.
“A lot of people have filled in for new positions and picked each other up in playing positions that they don’t normally play because we’ve had to overcome a lot of adversity,” Sheker said.
This flexibility and resiliency helped form this year’s team, which consisted of four seniors and a majority of juniors. This includes captains Samantha Danowski, Grayce Morris, Lilianna Occhiuzzo – all seniors – and junior Julia Harvey.
Head Coach Chuck Casey said one of the issues affecting the team was the lack of playing experience. Players come to the high school without previous experience with the sport, which means they’re learning and competing simultaneously.
“Not having a middle school program, because some of the larger schools we play, like Cherry Hill, for example, have a middle school program where girls can play for three years before being sent to the high school,” Casey said about an area where the team needs improvement.
While this can be beneficial because a coach can develop a player to their standards, it can also be problematic since the players have no prior experience or skill. Junior Isadora Guthrie has 200 hits this year, leading the team with the highest number of kills. Sheker follows close behind with 111 hits this season.
As a four-year player, Grayce Morris stands out on the team for her growth over the years.
“So not necessarily from last year to this year, but from her freshman year till now. For example, her sophomore year was a big jump, and she was a very vital player last year because of how good she got from sophomore to junior year,” Casey said. “Now she’s a senior captain and a very big part of the team.”
While some join the team with little to no prior playing experience, other girls have sought out club teams to join during the off-season in order to further develop their skills and performance.
“The biggest strength, I would say, is that over the last few years, a lot of girls have really gotten into the sport, some even played club in the off-season,” Casey said. “Just the team being really involved in the sport of volleyball has helped our team improve as a whole.”
Additionally, a majority of the players have played on the same teams for years, which helped contribute to the team’s bond and camaraderie.
“Chemistry is always what makes a team work because you know the tendencies of the girl next to you, so you can help them out when they are experiencing a challenge and vice versa,” senior setter Samantha Danowski said.
The team has worked together to try and achieve the best outcome they could while facing the challenges of injuries.
“I feel like we’ve had a decent season, but like I said, we’ve had to overcome a lot of adversity, so it’s been a little hard to come out with a ton of wins, but I think the second half of the season will definitely be better,” Sheker said.
