Girls Volleyball defeated Choate and Austin Prep, both with the score of 3-1, on Saturday and Wednesday, respectively. Continuing its win streak, the team’s record now stands at 9-2.
Jaedyn Ford ’24 reflected upon the game against Choate last season, where the team had lost. She noted the resilience and team chemistry that allowed the team to defeat Choate on Saturday.
“[The game against Choate] was one of the most pivotal games in our season. Last year when we played Choate, we lost, and then we went on a multi-game losing streak. This game, we came back in the first set… The fourth set was really close together: point after point we were tied, and then after seventeen points we took it all the way to the end. They were a really really good team, they had some really strong hitters, but it was just about us working together, falling together after every ball not letting anything drop,” said Ford.
According to Ford, Mary Lord ’24 put up an impressive performance in the game against Choate, specifically making strong kills and playing well at net.
Ford said, “Our middle, Mary, she was really strong at the net. [Choate’s] hits were really low to the net, which meant they were really easy to block. There were a lot of balls that were tight to the net, and Mary would slam it down… We were just really big up there, and I think a big part of that was controlling their net.”
Kate Rodgers ’26 partly credits the victory to the high energy that kept the players going. She noted that the bench kept cheering teammates on and helped each other shake off tough moments.
“Our bench’s energy was really good, which I think inspired the team to bring up the energy as well. That really helped us to have a positive outlook and really fight hard for the win” said Rodgers.
The success against Choate carried the team into Wednesday. Coach Clyfe Beckwith highlighted several players who contributed to this win. However, he also emphasized a few mistakes made in the game.
In an email to The Phillipian, Beckwith said, “We had notable performances from our starting six. Mary Lord gave us a spark with some key hits in the middle. Karisa Buckley gave us a spark also in the middle, with some key blocks and adept defensive plays. And that is on top of the good strong foundation the whole team provides. We allowed Austin Prep many points by dropping out of system saves, hitting free balls into the net, and serving far too many balls out. And we redeemed ourselves by forcing them to make mistakes.”
Girls Volleyball will play St. Paul’s at home on Saturday.
