With wins against Taft, Evanston, Lincoln Park and Leyden—and three heartbreakingly close losses to Whitney Young, Fenwick Academy, and Jones—captains Emily Stummer and Rachel Fuller are optimistic about their season.

  After a summer of offseason work, Stummer, Div. 760, is impressed by the improvements to the team’s offense.

  “I would say our offense has definitely improved. We have a dominant front row of hitters — I mean we were able to defeat Evanston in two sets in our season opener and I don’t think girls volleyball has ever beaten Evanston,” Stummer said.

  Fuller, Div. 770, has been on the varsity team for four years. She has seen the team develop from year to year, and said this year’s team has worked together a lot better this year compared to last.

  “We have a lot of potential this season,” she said. “Our team has worked very hard together during our preseason conditioning camps and practices and have kept up that hard work and determination in our regular season.”

  Seven girls were added to the varsity roster in the offseason and they are doing their best to fill the holes left by the last year’s team.

  “Every new player that joined varsity this year has brought nothing but their best to our team,” Fuller said.

  Stummer said the new players have added “a ton of talent” to the team.   

  Last season ended in the semi-finals of the city playoffs against Payton. This was a crushing loss for the team—especially for seniors, who did not make it to the city title game in their final year.

  The team has used that loss as fuel for this season.

  “That loss only strengthened our team’s determination to not only defeat Payton in regular season and in playoffs, but to claim the city championship as well.” Fuller said.