With the regular season coming to an end, the Richard Montgomery girls’ volleyball team stands with a 10-2 record and 2 games to go in the regular season. After back-to-back state championships the last two seasons, the Rockets are eyeing a three-peat, but this season has come with some setbacks.

After the 2024-2025 season, seven seniors graduated. “It was definitely an adjustment at first. Both of our captains were seniors, and they were captains for the past few years, so mostly we had to adjust to new leadership, and for everyone on this team to adjust to new roles,” junior Saesha Dhote said.

Two of the team’s former key players and recent graduates, Ema Djordjevic and Corinne Howard, are continuing their volleyball careers at UMBC and Howard. They left their marks as team captains for both years of the recurring championships. It is easy to assume that their absence would leave a gap in the team’s leadership and strength, but this year’s crew is showing its adaptability in their situation.

Even with this challenge, the Rockets have a flow with both their returning and new players. The new team captains this year, Ana Djordjevic and Ellie Mitchell, have stepped up and kept the energy high. The team is taking any losses this season as a learning moment this season and channeling it towards playoffs. “I think it’s going to go well as long as we stay disciplined and stay consistent as a team. It’s definitely not off the table for a three-peat,” senior Ellie Mitchell said.

One thing that the new captains have focused on is their team dynamic. “Besides actual games, one of our main goals was really connecting as a team and keeping our energy consistent throughout the season,” junior Talia Shih said.

As they finish the regular season and head towards the playoffs, this team has the chemistry and spirit to get it done. “Some teams expected us to be weaker, but we’re still going very strong,” Shih said.