The girls varsity volleyball team passed the midway point of its season, and is getting into the last stretch of matches.  The team kicked off its season with losses to Massapequa in three sets and Syosset in four sets.

The Vikings received their first win of the year against their conference rival, East Meadow in three straight sets.  Junior captain Emma Roberts led the team to its first win with seven kills, and senior captain Chelsea Stayton recorded eight assists.

After a string of losses, the team was able to bounce back, winning a crucial game against Syosset in three straight sets.  Roberts recorded fourteen kills, and junior Emma Waxman recorded thirteen digs.

They then beat East Meadow again in three straight sets where Roberts had fourteen kills and junior Allie Barasch had fifteen assists.

The team is 3-5 overall and sits at the lower half of the conference, and it has three matches left against conference rivals Plainview JFK, Long Beach, and Baldwin.

These games are critical, as they can make or break the season.

The girls varsity volleyball team sits very close to the teams ahead of them in the conference, and they could make a playoff push with a few wins in their final games.  The girls expect nothing less than that.

“I think that positive energy and communication are the two main things that are key for our team’s success,”  said Barasch.

The team will continue to work hard everyday in order to achieve a playoff spot.

“We plan to play our best in practice and make every single game count, as well as keeping a positive morale both on and off the court,” said Roberts.

Roberts is one of the team’s key players, having been a captain since her sophomore year, and she has enjoyed every second of her varsity experience.

“It’s honestly amazing.  I have grown so close to the girls and my coaches,” said Roberts.

A main factor to the team’s success is their chemistry with each other and how well they get along.

“We’re practically a family.  We get along so well, and we have so much fun together both on and off the court,” said senior Lily Avazis.

The team’s sense of friendship and communication will make them a formidable opponent to other teams as the season goes on.

Senior captains Natalie Bashner and Chelsea Stayton are other key leaders, both on and off the court.  With the both of them leaving next year, the team is going to have to rely on current juniors and other players with promising talent.

“Although key seniors are leaving, I think the team will still have a lot of talent next year,” said Bashner.

The departing seniors have a lot of faith in the juniors that will be filling their roles next season.

“The juniors play with their hearts and if they let that take over their talent, I think they will be good next year.” said Stayton.

At this point in the season, the girls have one thing in mind: the county championship.

“To win a county championship we need to work extremely hard in practice, win a few more matches to guarantee us a playoff spot, and we need to keep playing together,” said senior Emma Lupoli.