The DMHS Maroon Raiders volleyball team had a rocky 2017 season, but there was a silver lining. Head Coach Rachel Healy and Assistant Coach Casey Brennan picked an open-minded group of players for this season who were willing to improve.

This season’s record of 1-16 doesn’t reflect the talent of its players, but more so their dedication.

“Although we didn’t have the best record, we improved over time and that for me, was a win,” Coach Brennan said.

The team’s lack of consistency was the problem. Typically, the team played well for a short period of time, matching point for point, but then began to lose momentum as games progressed. With the loss of that energy, the team lost the drive to win, leading to the losing streak.

“What contributed to our losses was our defeatist attitude; when we were down, positivity and momentum went with it and it was hard to snap back into ‘we can do it,’” coach Healy explained. “That’s definitely something we have to work on,” she added.

However, one thing the team was doing right this year was its team spirit and comradery. Whether it was practice or a game with fans, everyone cheered for each other. They cheered when Sofia Kang had a perfect backset that led to a point-winning kill and when a teammate had a bad pass to recognize her effort. Either way, the spirit was motivating.

In fact, junior varsity and varsity teams even yelled special cheers to support their teammates and show opponents that they were there to compete. They yelled, “Raiders! Pump, pump, pump, pump it up!” This practice strengthened the team bonds during the season and will carry over into next year’s season.

Although overall the team was inconsistent, there were also times when players excelled. Senior varsity middle hitter Michalina Krol, repeatedly proved her skill with ace serves and powerful spikes, earning the team many points.

“Micky is one of our most powerful players on the team. She was our rock. I’m really going to miss her and I hope she continues to play in college,” junior Erin Coley said.

The varsity team is composed primarily of seniors including Debbie Adam, Dayna DeMontagnac, Daniela Gurski, Lanelle Williams and Tia Williams. The junior varsity team was led by co-captains Klaudia Spahiu and Dekyi Tsotsong.

“Overall, this season went well, we learned how to communicate; and towards the end, we learned how to trust our teammates and worked better compared to other years,” Erin concluded.