On October 21st, 2021, Irvington Girls’ Volleyball finished their season with a 3-24 record. Despite this, the team formed important bonds and improved greatly in their teamwork and skill.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the absence of their previous coach, the girls lost a lot of valuable practice time. However, they made up for it on their own time through dedication and hard work. 

“A lot of girls tried to come to practice more often,” said Varsity Captain Kaitlyn Johnson (11). “We started having practice on Saturdays because we felt like we need it, not only to better ourselves but to get to know one another better.”

The girls’ perseverance became a highlight of the season. “We really made do with what we had,” added Johnson.

This extra practice allowed the girls to become closer with one another, which helped their coordination and teamwork. 

Their efforts were not in vain; the extra practices paid off at a tournament, where they snagged a win against the Monterey Toreadores.

“I think after losing so many games, it was really nice seeing the girls get confidence after winning at the tournament and getting us all to work together and be excited,” Johnson said.

 Coming together as a team also helped the girls gain confidence in themselves. 

“Realizing that we could play the game on our own without as much help [as we thought we needed] really helped us grow in confidence,” Johnson commented. “And I think as we started getting to know each other better, that helped our confidence or chemistry on the team on the team a lot more. I think the latter half of our season was better than the former.” 

Though they had a rough season, Johnson and the girls remain hopeful for a successful season next year. 

“Having our coach leave threw off our whole practice schedule, the way that practice was run, and the way we did things.” Johnson said. “So now better organization is something that I hope we can work on next year.”