On Friday, September 8, the RM girls varsity volleyball team faced off against the Rockville Rams in their second straight away game to start off the season. Though faltering towards the latter stages of the match, the girls managed to come out with a three set win, improving their overall record to 2-0.
The team came out the gates sprinting in the first set. Between senior Brooke Richman’s staunch defense and senior Laila Rogers’ stellar offense, Rockville was quickly dismantled, 25-12. “They offered very little resistance in the first set,” said Rogers, “and we had several long serving runs where they just couldn’t stop us.”
Carrying their momentum over from the first set, the Rockets remained relentless in their pressure throughout the second. “We just continued to play aggressively as that was what seemed to be working,” commented junior Bianca Roncoli. Despite committing a couple of unforced errors at the net, the girls took the second set, 25-16.
However, in the third set, Rockville finally started to show some signs of competitiveness. Feeling overconfident from their previous success, the girls began playing almost recklessly, handing the Rams an early lead. “I don’t really know what happened in the third set,” sophomore Kisha Yan remembered. “I guess we were overconfident and we just fell apart.”
Yet once again rallying behind Richman’s incredible defense, the girls mounted a late comeback to win the third set, 25-21. By dialing back on the aggression, the Rockets were able to play much safer and allow their superior skill to earn them the victory.
Coach Barber-strunk attributed the mental strength the team displayed towards the end of the match to its seniority, which she considers to be a unique strength. “This year’s team has the most seniors I have ever had in one season,” remarked Coach Barber-strunk. “The experience and leadership they bring can really come in handy in these clutch situations.”
Because of this abundance of experience, Coach Barber-strunk has a lot of confidence in the potential of this year’s team. “I expect that the girls will have a winning record and get deep in playoffs this year,” Gretchen predicted, “but most importantly, I know it will be a memorable season.”
However, with such high aspirations, the Rockets’ will have to work on their consistency. In both of their first two matches, the team has had its up and down moments. If they hope to make a deep run into playoffs, they will have to learn to maintain a high level of play against the top teams in the county.
On Monday, the girls will be looking to prove that they indeed can match up against the best as they take on the Sherwood Warriors at home.
Featured photo by Orrin Ni
