St. Ed’s varsity volleyball team closed last week with a 2-6 record, but the final numbers logged in the school yearbook are secondary at best. After this high school sport ends for five seniors, the friendships and memories will endure.
That is the underpinning of St. Ed’s athletic philosophy. There will likely be no deep run through the postseason for the girls on this team. Nevertheless, first-year head coach Sid Parker and his 11 volleyball players are pouring heart and soul into every competitive match.
“I started coaching about three years ago because my daughter’s club team needed a coach,” Parker explained. “Then St. Ed’s needed a coach for this year and my name happened to pop up because I was already coaching a couple of girls from the middle school. They asked me if I was willing to take the varsity position.”
Thus the parade of coaches continued for this program, but that mattered very little. Everyone knew what needed to be done.
“I see lots of talent,” Parker said after the team started 0-3. “We’ve just got to get it all together and make sure it all shows up on the court at the same time. We try to teach the game of volleyball from beginning to end. We emphasize hitting, passing, setting, blocking and understanding their roles on offense and defense.
“Every player has a skill set and we try to play within their strengths. Practices are structured to be as game-like as possible so we can function better during real-game situations. The kids seem to be responding really well.”
The Pirates recovered temporarily with consecutive wins before dropping three more. Close sets have been plentiful both for and against. Statistics have not always painted a clear picture.
“We’ve had more kills, more hits, more passes and more digs than the other teams in some of our losses. But we’ve also had a few more errors. What we have to do is limit those errors and continue to play aggressively.
“The strength of any team is measured by efficient passing, and you always have to be proficient on defense. But you also have to put the ball away when the time comes.”
The pieces are in place. “We’ve got an outstanding libero in Victoria Bradford,” Parker told us. “She gets to almost every ball. Catherine Campione and Maya Jenkins are power hitters in the middle. Outside hitters Angela Schwerer and Sophia Oriaku (both seniors) can really crush the ball.
“Sophia is new to the team and Angela has been playing longer. They both swing hard and play aggressively. Those are the things we really look for. And don’t forget that Emily Hudson is a great setter.”
Parker is a physical trainer by trade. He offered his players some intensive physical training before the season began and noted that the results have been positive in terms of improved strength and jumping ability. The most experienced players have taken notice.
“I started doing camps at St. Ed’s in third grade and I’ve been on a school team since sixth grade,” senior Emily Hudson said. “I was on the JV team in eighth grade and this is my third year on the varsity.
“It has usually been only two or three of us playing in my grade, but this year we were able to get two more seniors (Sophia Oriaku and Caitlin Carrick). I like this team a lot. We’ve just been having a good time. We are all really good friends.
“Our coach has taught us a lot of new things. He has really been good for us. We have played against some very good teams and we are doing our best. We have been steadily improving. We are a lot more confident and playing much better since the summer.
“I’m excited for the rest of the volleyball season. We’ll see what happens.”
Victoria Bradford and Hudson are senior classmates and have been teammates on the varsity for three years.
“I’ve been playing volleyball on a school team since fifth grade and on a club team since seventh grade,” Bradford said. “I specialize in the back row. The hard balls in the back come to me and that means there is a lot of running. It’s difficult, but when you get a great hit back up in the air, you know the team really appreciates you. It’s just awesome, I love being the libero.
“This team has a special bond and closeness like no other team that I’ve been on. We don’t just hang out when we play volleyball. We hang out in school, outside of school, and we know each other like the back of our hands.
“We have some great seniors and strong leadership. I see good things happening if we just dig in.”
