Mountain Lakes isn’t a town where people are shy about sports. On a quick trip down any residential road, one can pass any number of lawn signs, or orange and blue banners; we’re probably one of New Jersey’s leading exporters in college lacrosse players. Still, Mountain Lakes is a small town, and that means that our high school can’t offer every sport. We may not have Quidditch, but the new girls’ volleyball team is certainly something to pay attention to.
Volleyball mania being the iconic event that it is at MLHS, it may seem surprising that no volleyball team was established sooner, but alas, the stars have finally aligned. The 2018 Girls Volleyball squad came out of the woodwork swinging and spiking, due largely to its coaches: Linda Lentz and Jodi Vitolo. The strength of the team’s underclassmen ensures that volleyball will have no problem transitioning into a fixture of Laker sports in the years to come, and the prior training of some players through club teams has given the organization a strong start – it’s easy to look down the line and see MLGV as a continuous, thriving presence.
Volleyball was meant to have only a JV team in its inaugural season, but the desire of seniors (like myself) to be involved, as well as the jump-right-in-spirit of players and coaches alike, led to the creation of teams on the JV and Varsity levels. This reflects the attitude that’s been shared by MLGV participants all season long. We’re the team chanting “hard work” before we break up a huddle, playing the whistle, remembering that uniforms are earned, and the net’s not as high as it looks (but it’s as high as regulations require, naturally). Our coaches have instilled in us the idea that to be a good player is important, but to be a good person is everything.
The season’s coming down to its closing weeks, and it’s going to hurt to turn in my orange and blue for good after only one year, but I wouldn’t trade the experiences of this season for the world. If you happen to find yourself with a free afternoon, we’ve got a few games left before the season comes to an end, and speaking as someone who hadn’t seen real live volleyball up until two months ago: there’s nothing quite like witnessing Rachel Curran’s spike. I leave you with a reminder that volleyball mania isn’t all that far away, so befriend MLGV players while you still have the chance.
Check out some pictures of the girls’ volleyball team!
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