Girls Volleyball (1-6) took on Tabor Academy (Tabor) on Saturday and Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N) on Wednesday, battling through two competitive matches. The team secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Tabor before falling in three sets to BB&N.
According to Hailey Piasecki ’26, the team was able to capitalize on key offensive plays against Tabor, with Co-Captains Kate Rodgers ’26 and Nneka Ezeike ’26 providing a consistent presence on the court.
“Against Tabor, we had so many highlights. Everyone was playing so well, but the memories that are the most vivid to me were Kate’s and Nneka’s incredible hits that are so consistent and we can always count on to give us an energy boost,” said Piasecki.
In both matchups, a major strength for the team was blocking, which in volleyball is when players jump at the net to stop or deflect an opponent’s attack. Rihanna Gomez ’26 emphasized that defensive communication was a turning point in maintaining momentum throughout these last two matches.
“Some of the biggest highlights from our last two games were definitely our blocking. Our middles, right side, and outside hitters have been able to communicate a lot, and it’s really helped us bounce back in moments where we were down,” said Gomez.
Reflecting on the matches, Piasecki highlighted the difference in how the team approached each match, noting how the group came together with high energy and strong leadership against Tabor. On the other hand, the team struggled to find that same intensity on the court against BB&N.
“Against Tabor, we really played like a team. The energy was really high and the leaders of our team really stepped up to bring everyone together. At our game today [against BB&N], our energy was pretty low, which led to a bad game that we could have won if we played like we did against Tabor. But at the end of the day, we had fun in both games,” said Piasecki.
Gomez echoed Piasecki’s point, noting that despite Wednesday’s loss, the team has grown noticeably since the beginning of the season.
“The games didn’t go the way that we wanted, but overall our performance has really improved since the start. All our practice and hard work has really paid off in these last couple of games. If I were to compare our team from our very first game against Dana Hall to the game we had against BB&N, I think it’s two completely different teams in a very positive way,” said Gomez.
Both Piasecki and Gomez agreed that sustaining energy throughout an entire match remains one of the team’s biggest challenges. Piasecki explained how the group adapted to fight through periods of low morale.
“In our game today, we had really low energy and a lack of communication, so our assistant coach suggested that we just over-communicate every little thing to bring some sort of energy and momentum to our plays. It gave us a boost and made the game much more fun,” said Piasecki.
Piasecki also highlighted the contributions of Ashley Schuman ’27, the team’s libero — a defensive specialist — who was a vocal presence in the recent games despite being sidelined by injury.
“Ashley has been so dedicated to the team from the bench, coaching our passers, giving advice, and cheering us on every chance she gets,” said Piasecki.
With Rodgers and Ezeike providing consistent leadership on the court, the team is hopeful that it can use the lessons from this past week to build toward more wins.
“Our captains are just so consistent and uplifting. They’ve been doing such an amazing job keeping this team really connected, whether it’s picking us up on the sidelines or giving great tips in practice,” said Gomez.
Girls Volleyball will play Choate on Saturday.
Editor’s Note: Kate Rodgers is the Executive Editor of The Phillipian.
