After an exciting season last year, during which the girls volleyball team made it to the semi-finals of the state tournament, the team was unable to carry the momentum from last year into this season. After losing only four seniors last year, there was optimism that the team could make another run for the state title. However, things did not go as planned. The team started off strong, winning their first two games, but ultimately won only four of their next eleven games, finishing 6-13 at the end of the season. Angelica Cianella, a sophomore on the team, says that the season was rough; “We weren’t playing to our full potential, and we struggled to find ways to work together when we went out on the court.”

Although their record was subpar, the team showed potential with great plays by seniors. Melissa Liu ’19 and Lily Taylor ’19, both captains on the team, put the interests of the team before themselves; they moved from playing in the middle last season to playing as outside hitters this year. Jaadyyah Shearrion, a junior on the team, provided energy and was always able to push her teammates to the next level. Sophomore Kamilla Santos provided a much-needed boost to any position she was asked to play.

Although there are aspirations of getting back to the state tournament, coach Kelly Leary, recognizes that may be difficult. “Being in the Dual County League for volleyball is challenging,” she explains. “The reality is, in the league, most girls are playing volleyball year-round. I would love to see Cambridge offer places and programs for athletes to improve.” This is a familiar sentiment for other team Dual County League, many athletes are playing for expensive club teams year-round, and it is hard to compete with teams who have so much more experience.

Desarei Silfa, a sophomore on the JV team, hopes that the experience some girls have gained from the JV team can help the varsity team compete next year. “The drills we did at the JV level were either similar or the exact same as the ones the varsity team did, so we will be ready to compete when the time comes.” Next year, five players will graduate, meaning that they may be helped by having a young but experienced roster. There were five freshman on the varsity team this year, each of them showing promise. If the team can make this year a learning experience for them, the sky will be the limit for how far they can go next year.

Jahmaya Adamson, a junior on the varsity team, has the utmost confidence in the team for next year. “Next year, we are going to win more and make states. Everyone is going to be stronger and be able to use the mistakes from this year as a learning experience to win next year.”

This piece also appears in our November 2018 print edition.