Dec. 10, 2025
By Chloe Lin
Staff Writer
The girls volleyball team concluded its season in the first round of state playoffs after losing 1-3 to Leonia High School on Nov. 3.
Despite its 16-11 winning record in the regular season, the team struggled following starting sophomore setter Madison Herman’s season-ending injury when she broke her pinky finger during practice on Oct. 22.
In Herman’s absence, sophomore libero Raeleen Ortiz, who joined varsity last year, stepped up as a first-time setter.
“My sets were so different from our usual setter’s, so the hitters had to adjust to the height and speed of my sets,” Ortiz said. “Sometimes the ball came out a little higher or lower than they were used to, so we all had to communicate more and get used to my timing. As we kept practicing, we started to connect better.”
Ortiz said she was initially nervous about taking on the new position.
“I had never played setter before, and I didn’t want to mess anything up, but I also felt a little excited to try something new and help the team,” Ortiz said.
“It’s a game full of mistakes. It’s a very mental game. If you don’t have a good mentality, you won’t do well.”
Sophomore middle blocker Olivia DeRuvo, who joined varsity last year, said she is disappointed about the playoff loss.
“We had a lack of energy and lack of communication,” DeRuvo said. “It’s pretty upsetting because we beat that team three different times already.”
DeRuvo said the players must translate the strong chemistry they have off the court into their gameplay.
“We’re all such good friends, but on the court, there’s no communication whatsoever,” DeRuvo said.
She said she is now turning her attention to next season.
“[My goal] is to just try and be a leader on the court, try and communicate with everyone [and] not let anyone [get] in their heads,” DeRuvo said.
Junior outside hitter Gabby Kalisiak, who joined varsity last year, said moving forward, she wants to stay focused on the present.
“I need to get over my mistakes a lot quicker in games,” Kalisiak said. “It’s a game full of mistakes. It’s a very mental game. If you don’t have a good mentality, you won’t do well.”
Kalisiak, one of two juniors on the team, said she hopes her team will win states next season.
“We went through a lot together [with] everyone switching positions and stepping up when needed, but it made us stronger and brought us closer as a team,” Kalisiak said. “We’ve built something solid, and going into my senior year, we have the talent, the chemistry and the drive to make a real run for a state title.”
