The Bishop Fenwick volleyball team didn’t end the season the way it wanted in 2019 after falling to Bedford in the Division 2 North quarterfinals, but 2020 is a new year and the Crusaders are ready for another crack.
“We had a great season last year with a lot of talented players, but it was definitely a tough loss for us,” said Crusaders coach Samantha Trant Kelly, now in her fourth season at the helm. “We ran into some issues in that tournament game that exploited the fact that we were a little weak at the setter position and that’s what ended up hurting us. You’ve got to be strong at that spot because that setter touches the ball on every play.”
After losing six seniors to graduation from last year’s team, the Crusaders are returning a mix of core veteran players while also bringing in a host of young talent. Nine seniors are back this year, and leading the way will be captains Annie Murphy, Talia Scolaro and Brynn Bertucci. Sophia Prejant is returning as the team’s libero.
In addition, the team saw 27 freshmen come out for tryouts this year. One of those freshmen is Murphy’s sister Lacy, a 6-foot-2 setter who has earned a place in the starting lineup.
“We’re really happy with the makeup of the team this year,” said Trant Kelly. “Our core group of returning players is experienced and they’ve been consistent players for us over the past few years, and we saw a lot of enthusiasm in the numbers that turned out for tryouts. Those younger players are really going to help us rebuild the program over the next several years.”
The Crusaders have been hard at work during practice over the past week and a half as they prepare for the new season. Much of that work has involved dealing with the latest safety modifications that have been put in place, but Trant Kelly is also trying to keep things as normal as possible for her team.
“Things have been a lot different with COVID,” said Trant Kelly. “The biggest thing we’ve been dealing with is having to remain three feet off the net. It’s tough because we obviously have to deal with the new rules and abide by them, but we also don’t want to coach differently and change the way we do things. We’re hoping to continue to be aggressive and go out there and play the best we can.”
Fenwick opens up the season Saturday evening (5:30) on the road at Bishop Feehan.
“The excitement is just through the roof for the players and the coaching staff,” said Trant Kelly. “I think just getting out there and having something to play for is going to be great for everyone and it’ll help us get back to a little bit of normalcy.”