Girls Volleyball (7-5) narrowly defeated Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) in a five-set comeback win on the road. Despite one of its Co-Captains battling an injury and the other getting injured in the first set, the team remained steadfast in their fight, with many new players stepping up. The team fended off NMH’s attacks with skill, leading to long rallies that prolonged the game.
Since both Co-Captains were injured, the team was forced to play the majority of the game with a different lineup than usual. Kaliah Fortune ’26 noted how despite the setback, the team made necessary adjustments, allowing them to emerge victorious.
“The score was 3-2. We won in the fifth set. I don’t think we had an advantage. Our Captain, [Sophie Holten ’25], got hurt in the first set and was out for the rest of the game, and our other Captain, [Saraya Angbazo ’25], was already injured from previous games. We went in with a different lineup than usual, so we had to adjust. But we did well with the adjustments we had to make,” said Fortune.
Fortune also noted that they have been working on tipping the ball this week. She stressed the importance of placement instead of pure power.
“One thing we’ve been working on is tipping the ball deep and pushing it into tough spots rather than always hitting full force,” said Fortune. “We’re trying to be smart with placement. For example, if the other team thinks we’re going to hit it hard, we’ll tip it or place it in deep corners where they aren’t expecting it, making smarter plays instead of just going for power.”
During the fifth set, the team had an amazing serving run that boosted its morale, pushing it to break the tie and snatch the win. Nneka Ezeike ’26 highlighted the team’s ability to work together in harmony.
“A pivotal moment was when we went on a serving run, which helped us regain confidence. Another crucial moment was when we almost lost control of the ball, but we all worked together in defense and managed to get it back over the net,” said Ezeike.
Many players rose to the occasion for the game, adapting to the circumstances accordingly. According to Hailey Piasecki ’26, Gracie Aziabor ’26 and Zoë Gilbertson ’27 stood out the most: Aziabor with her blocks and spikes and Gilbertson subbing in for an injured Co-Captain.
“Gracie Aziabor (middle hitter) and Zoë Gilbertson (outside hitter) really stood out to me. Gilberston stepped in in the middle of the game to cover for our Captain, Sophie Holten, who hurt her ankle, and Gilberston did so well despite coming in cold and completely unexpected. Aziabor was on fire. She had incredible hits and insane blocks and was really bringing up the energy for the whole team even when we were down,” wrote Piasecki in an email to The Phillipian.
Fortune agreed with Piasecki about Gilbertson’s impact on the game. She specifically touched on Gilbertson’s ability to come into the lineup cold and acclimate to the game quickly, allowing the team to keep its momentum.
“Zoë Gilbertson stood out. We had to switch our lineup, and Zoë came in cold and was killing it on the court. She was passing really well, hitting, and playing strong for being in rotation with players she isn’t normally with. She adjusted on the fly and went straight into the game, so she did a great job.”
In the upcoming weeks, the team will have to find ways to navigate the injuries of both Co-Captains. Ezeike noted that with the new lineup, the team hopes to improve its chemistry on the court.
“Since we have two players out from injury right now, both of whom are our Captains, we’re really going to work on leadership on the court and bringing up energy without these key players. We also have some new combinations with players filling in for these spots, so we’ll focus on team chemistry and making sure everyone feels comfortable in these new positions,” said Ezeike.
Volleyball will play Deerfield at home this Saturday and away at St. Paul’s on Wednesday.
