Volleyball Rolls Through NMH in 5 Sets
This past Saturday, the girls’ varsity volleyball team secured yet another win in their 2017-2018 season, making their record an impressive 12 wins and 2 losses. Big Red’s game against the Northfield Mount Hermon School was victorious by a longshot, with a final score of 3-2.
“Once they won the second [set], it definitely made us realize that if we want to achieve our goal of winning a championship, we can’t take any game for granted.”
Due to a prior triumph against the NMH, post-graduate Annelise Romero believed that the team entered the game with the wrong mindset. However, she acknowledged the change of attitude during the athletic contest. “Once they won the second [set], it definitely made us realize that if we want to achieve our goal of winning a championship, we can’t take any game for granted,” she said.
Romero found that NMH had improved since their last match. “They were definitely stronger,” she explained. “On top of us not playing great, they were capitalizing on our mistakes and taking advantage of the weaknesses in our defense.” Despite losses in the first few rounds, Romero felt that Exeter was able to re-focus and prioritize a strong end to the game. “The best part about the game was our fifth [set]. We went into it with more confidence than I’ve ever seen us have,” she said. “We knew we were going to win, and because of that, we were able to make it happen.”
Senior and captain Margaret Kraus, describing NMH as a “scrappy” opponent, complimented their powerful middle hitter. “They were not our toughest competitor, but they definitely kept us on our heels,” she said. Kraus emphasized Big Red’s ability to pick up speed as the game progressed. “We were able to summon all our energy to crush them in the fifth set,” Kraus said, echoing Romero’s statements.
Kraus named upper Tara Weil’s streak of 13 serves as one of the highlights of the game. Similarly, senior and captain Charlotte Polk highlighted the efforts of the junior members of the team, recognizing their contributions to the success of the game. “A lot of the younger players really stepped up and did a great job picking up the slack,” she said. Polk also commended upper Ela Ferhangil on her serves, and cited Romero’s incredible 40 percent “kill shot” accuracy. “We did a great job of executing in the last set,” Polk added.
The team hopes to continue their successful record during the last few games of the season as they vye for a spot as championships. “The upcoming games are really critical in preparing us for playoffs, so I think we’ve all been focusing on individual things we could improve on,” Romero explained. “What’s really going to make a difference is how we are able to bring those things together and really play as a team.” Kraus wants to hone in on specific plays like serve consistency and free ball passing, while Polk hopes to continue inspiring the “fire and focus” she saw in the fifth set.
The team is also looking forward to the upcoming rivalry game on Sat. November 11 against Andover at 11 am in the Love Gym. Romero emphasized that after losing to the team earlier in the season, Big Red is eager for the rematch. “We have been talking about this game since day one, so I can’t wait to see what all the hype is about!” she said.