Celebrating the Varsity Volleyball Team
The 2021 Galloway varsity volleyball team finished their season October 20th with an appearance at state, but that wasn’t the only thing worth celebrating about their season. The team also made school history by beating the previous school record for most wins in a season; the team finished the season with 20 wins, with the previous record being 17.
The team started out the season winning 9 undefeated games consecutively. They took two hard losses officially ending their streak of wins, but followed by winning another 6 games. The team beat well known teams like Walker, Campbell, and Riverwood, who Galloway has not beaten in past seasons. Another team that hadn't been beaten before was Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon went into the regional tournament being the number 1 team, but Galloway beat them, securing their spot in the state championship. They fought hard through three sets against Mount Paran during state, but ultimately lost, officially ending the season. Although the season didn’t end the way they hoped, it is still definitely one to remember.
Head Coach Dustin Choe acknowledges their hard work and dedication; “I would like to say that every player on this team is a fighter. The hard work they put in at every game and practice shows on their record breaking season. They proved themselves that they are State worthy.” He promises the team will be back next year to do it again, “We may have fallen short in the first round, but they know we will be back next year to make another statement.” Assistant Coach Amanda Mihlbauer says that coaching the team was a great experience, “to say it was a joy is an understatement. I was able to see the girls progress into a team who was able to go on a 9 game winning streak, win the most games they have ever won in a given season, and defeat teams that they haven't defeated in previous years!” All team members put so much work in and it showed during each of their games.
Although each player on the team contributed to this year's amazing season and should be recognized, the team had a few star players who carried the team to many wins. Lily Duran (junior), a right side, led with the most kills on the team, claiming 85 kills out of the team total of 349. Following close behind was Lily Schweber (junior), one of the team's outside hitters, with 73 kills. Lastly Zoey Horn (junior), a middle, with 71 kills. A kill is when an attack is unreturnable by the other team. Zoey and Lily Duran also tied for the most aces. Morghan Belt (sophomore), a middle, had the most blocks with 77 out of the team total of 174. The team Libero and co-captain, Chase Buffington (junior) had the most digs. And lastly, Sariah Robbins (junior) the other captain and setter had the most service attempts. Everyone on the team should be proud of everything they accomplished throughout the season.
By Caroline Cranman