San Domenico’s varsity volleyball team is finishing up their season and have made vast improvements this year. Stats show that San Domenico has only won between 1-2  games in past seasons. This year, they won 10 out of 18 games and for the first time in 21 years, will most likely qualify for the upcoming NCS playoffs. With the new coach, John Hedlung, the team has really grown and benefitted.

Olivia Williams, a junior on the team said, “I think overall he has had a very positive impact on the varsity team. And I think you can evidently see that. Our stats can show that we’ve literally played better than we have in the past five years.”

Although the San Domenico volleyball team made improvements, the new team dynamics prove challenging. Bella Riella, a senior on the varsity volleyball team, definitely feels more pressure to perform this year.

“I definitely feel it’s been good for our team. We’ve definitely grown drastically, but it’s also had some other effects on the team. We struggle with positivity,” Riella said.

The team, although improving, struggles with adjusting to the new, more intense coaching style. For example, Hedlung put three freshmen and one sophomore on varsity, which meant that the seniors’ playing time was not guaranteed. 

“Since we have more underclassmen on the team, it’s a lot different this year. I feel more intimidated because all of the freshmen are starters and I am not,” Riella added.

While there have been some growing pains, the varsity volleyball team is having a successful season this year with the help of the new coach and skilled players. They will find out for sure if they have qualified for NCS this Sunday, and the varsity team is continuing to work hard. They have upped their practice time to 3 hours each day in order to improve their skills and prepare for the end of their season.