Blind Brook volleyball looks to make history for 2nd year

August 31, 2023 at 12:05 a.m.

Blind Brook varsity volleyball players listen attentively to former Division 1 volleyball player Alisa Mejia who is a Quinnipiac University volleyball alumna during a clinic at Blind Brook High School on Aug. 18. (Courtesy photo of Alexandra Maniscalco)

As 2023 fall sports are starting up, all eyes are on the Blind Brook girls’ volleyball team after their season last year. They finished the season with a convincing 18-4 record including winning their first ever section title against Albertus Magnus.

In addition, many of the players received awards for their part in making this team a success. The girls who received these honors are: All Section: Oriah Rosenfeld and Fernanda Julian, All League: Ella Rosenfeld and Sophia Carey, All League Honorable Mention: Ava Steele and League Player of the Year: Fernanda Julian. There were many honors for the players, but they were not the only ones recognized for their part in the win. Coach Gina Carlone was the Conference III Coach of the Year after leading this team to success.

      

Looking forward towards this season, the roster is going to change after losing seniors Ava Steele, Halle Greaige and Lauren Reed. The team is looking for players to fill the shoes of these girls to help them have another successful season.

“If we thought it was hard to get on top, it's going to be harder to stay on top,” said Coach Carlone about the upcoming season. “The team is going to have to work twice as hard, now also in Class B, to go back-to-back years.” The team has moved up in class from C to B because they won the sectional championship last year.

Prior to the beginning of preseason, the girls worked in a clinic run at Blind Brook by Alisa Mejia who played Division 1 volleyball at Quinnipiac University. Now that the first week of preseason is over, the team has been made and the girls are ready for the season. This team has been working hard to be better than they were last year. They trained many hours every day during the first weeks, more than most other fall varsity sports.

Their first game is a preseason scrimmage against Rye which is not a league game and will not count towards anything but will be a good introductory exercise for the girls. This scrimmage will be followed by another at Albertus Magnus High School on Friday, Sept. 1. With the work they are putting in during the preseason, the Lady Trojans are looking to start their first game with a bang on Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 4:30 p.m. against Pawling at home. They will play another home game on Thursday, Sept. 7 vs Croton-Harmon, also at 4:30 p.m.