Walpole Rebels Volleyball returned to Elm Street School on Friday, Oct 12, after clinching a spot in the Division 1 Tournament just the night before against Weymouth. Already on a two game winning streak, Walpole defeated King Phillip in three sets, making their record 11-3.
“Overall we played really strong and worked together to get it done,” senior Captain McKenzie Rae said. "We never lost too many points in a row and we were able to quickly side out if we gave up any points."
The captains gave a large amount of credit for the win to junior libero Bridget Abril. After classmate Mei Totten was sidelined for the season due to injury, Abril was asked to switch positions from a defensive specialist to the starting libero.
“Bridget stepped up because she had an amazing game, getting under every ball that came her way. She really is stepping up, not just this game, but throughout the whole season. Without her, we would not be where we are right now,” senior Captain Sawyer King said.
Rae agreed with King that Abril was solid on defense, but also believed hitters Molly Whelan, Brooke Lanchester, Abby O´Brien, Abby Rae, and King stepped up as well.
“The hitters did a great job earning points and making sure the ball got into the court,” Rae said.
With the post season coming soon, the team wants to improve their consistency.
“Looking towards post season, we want to work on strategically hitting the balls over and being more consistent on defense,” senior Captain Abby Rae said.
Besides working purely on skill development, the Rebels want to incorporate each player’s individual skills to function better as a whole and focus on the psychological part of the game.
“We want to mainly work on our stamina because once we feel that we lost, we start to break down and give up,” King said.
As the Rebels enter the Division 1 South Sectional, they believe their biggest competition will be from either Barnstable or Newton North, two teams that have dominated the tournament in the past. Although the Rebels have some tough competitors in the future, they remain positive entering their post season.
“The team and I are very proud and excited to have clinched a spot in tournament,” King said. “We are so excited and are working hard to make it far this season."