The women’s volleyball program at McNicholas has grown in the 2023-24 season, contributed in large to the freshmen class having more students than in recent years. Tryout numbers were much higher leading to larger teams.
The program, overall, has improved with the Varsity team currently winning the GCL. The program has been broken into a Freshmen, Junior Varsity (JV), and Varsity team. Each team practices separately, but all of the teams are present for each other’s games.
Navigating all the freshmen in the program has been difficult this year. There were 50 people that tried out and almost 35 of them were freshmen. “The program will keep on growing with more freshmen in the program,” senior captain Marie Billies states. “It’s been different having more freshmen, but in a good way. We have gotten to make more friends with underclassmen rather than last year.”
This season the program went from Division II to Division III, senior Cassidy Rivas states, “In my opinion, it’s unhelpful because you aren’t playing those better teams, and I think we can take on those better teams.”
But Billies states otherwise: “After the season, I feel like it will be more helpful in the tournament, where we will play lesser competition. But being in DII challenges us more.”
Head coach Darlene Tierney states “I was disappointed when we went to DIII because almost all of our schedule are DI and DII schools. And I feel like we are stronger this year than last year, and we can compete with those better teams.”
That said, the team has done better in DIII compared to their time in DII. Rivas explains the teams are not playing the better teams in the postseason. Which Billies expanded on by saying this means the team has a better chance at winning in the postseason.
Last year the team went 8-2 in GCL games, as well as 15-9 overall. Finishing second overall in the GCL. But this season has been different. Currently the team is 8-1 in GCL games, in first place in the GCL, as well as 12-5 overall.
Although the philosophy of the team has been always win now, the coaches are trying to navigate the win now part of the team, as well as building for the future part of the team. Tierney states, “We talk about our team goals, and we make sure we all have our sights set on mutual goals, and we discuss how each player can help meet those goals.”
Tierney has been navigating all the team’s goals while finding ways to meet them. She took over the program last year, and she is trying to change the culture in a positive way.
“We are trying to have everyone understand that A) this is to have fun and B) we are here to work hard and support everyone on and off of the court, and that everyone in the program has value. We are always trying to work towards those small goals that end up being big goals in a successful program.”
The Rockets next game is tonight at 6:30 p.m. against Anderson. The team is currently winning the GCL, and will clinch the GCL with a win on their Senior Night against Alter.
The McNicholas Milestone 