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Varsity Volleyball: A Season In Review
Despite a losing record, the varsity volleyball squad enjoyed many successes in the 2015 season.
The varsity volleyball team was, for all intents and purposes, in the middle of a rebuilding year this season. The volleyball program at St. Luke’s is still relatively young and, as a result, still strives to build the fundamentals that will lead to greater successes in the future. With that being said, the team did enjoy its fair share triumphs in 2015. According to head coach Abby Bielski, “Overall, even though our record doesn’t necessarily show it, we made a lot of improvements in terms of volleyball IQ, we had more flexibility at the net, and we sharpened our defensive skills.”
The Storm finished the season with a 5-13 record. While that does not seem like a particularly good season on paper, there are many things to look forward to in the years to come. Bielski stated, “The greatest strength of this team, and the teams that we will field in the upcoming seasons, is energy and youth. A lot of the younger players had breakout seasons, and their improvements will definitely carry over next season.” Much like the St. Luke’s varsity field hockey team, Bielski’s goals for the team did not revolve around a winning record. The general philosophy focused more on stronger play and teamwork, goals that the coaches and players succeeded in achieving.
Looking forward, Bielski says that there is still a lot of work to do to give the program greater consistency. “Once we put all of the pieces together over the offseason, and continue to develop some of the basic skills, we will have better results in terms of wins and losses. Once the girls harness the immense amount of energy and passion they have for the game, they are going to see a big payoff.” Passing was an issue this season that Bielski believed accounted for many of the team’s losses. She said, “Without that basic skill, it’s impossible to run complex formations and set up plays. The good news is that passing is one of the easiest skills to improve on.” The junior varsity team, which was new this year, will certainly strengthen the program as a whole. It will provide a valuable arena in which the girls will be able to form basic skills and improve as players. In addition, roughly 60% of the girls will be attending volleyball camps in the offseason which will undoubtedly improve the team’s play in the 2016 season.
With the improvement of younger players, and the loss of only two seniors, the future looks bright for the Storm. Bielski noted that the current sophomores, including, Emma Castiglione '18 Bridget Dalton ‘18, Ali Ferris ‘18, and Maria Minuesa ‘18, will have a large impact next year. The players who will move from the junior varsity team to the varsity squad will also prove indispensable. As Bielski summed it up, “There is a lot to look forward to with the volleyball program.”
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Leading with Humanity curriculum builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
