Athletics
Game Summaries
Volleyball Season 2009
EWS 0–Berlin 3
21-25, 22-25, 20-25
The Emma Willard Jesters entered their first game with some trepidation; however, that did not last long. Mary put the game in motion with an ace on the first serve. As Emma Willard proceeded into the first set, some great rallies were fought. Fatima demonstrated amazing offense, putting down 4 kills from the front row. While Emma lost the first set, we didn’t back down and were ready to fight back. Wanda’s run of impressive serves, including 3 aces, helped the team recover from their first loss and kept them in the running for the second set. Three players new to the team contributed: Chelsea served and played strong defense throughout the match, Angel passed well in the second, and Melissa played great defense in the third, always hustling for the balls in the backcourt. Libby had a strong match, putting down 4 good hits and putting up 2 digs; she also stepped in with some impromptu setting. Annie reassured the Jesters with a kill, leaving the opponent frustrated, while Katie contributed strong serving, particularly in the third set. All in all it was a good match, and the Emma Willard Jesters left with their heads high and are looking forward with determination to a rematch.
EW 3–New Lebanon 1
22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-13
After losing their previous match, the Jesters were in the mindset to win. The first setter was Mary, who put up some strong serves, including a few aces. Another strong server was Wanda, whose serving brought the team close in the first set and contributed to their comeback in the second. Fatima and Annie put up solid blocks, including a few duels at the net with New Lebanon’s middle hitter. Katie put up fine serves, including an ace, while Melissa served well in the first set, and Chelsea and Jennifer had solid serves in the fourth. Libby hit well throughout the match, including 3 kills. The bench was supportive throughout, helping the Jesters stay motivated. It was Emma Willard’s first win of the season, and we left with our heads held high.
EW 3–Hawthorne Valley 1
25-7, 25-19, 12-25, 25-20
Emma Willard volleyball played its first home match of the season and recorded their second win. The Jesters came out strong after getting a late start, winning the first set behind the strong serving of Mary, Fatima, and Libby. From then on, the team played through a number of different rotations, with every player getting some time on the floor. Throughout it all, Libby and Mary anchored the team with their serving, setting, and hitting. Annie and Fatima had strong games at the net as both put down multiple kills, and Annie had 2 strong blocks. Wanda and Katie also had strong front row games: Wanda had a block while Katie stepped in with 2 assists. Melissa, Chelsea, and Jennifer all put in solid and consistent all-around performances, while newcomers Angel, Anika, Beatrice, and Agnes took the opportunity to develop their confidence on the court. After taking the first two sets, Emma Willard struggled in the third, and Hawthorne Valley took full advantage to pull away with an easy win. The home team came back strong in the fourth set, however, and put away the match. The contest included strong serving from both teams and a number of long and exciting rallies, a good match for both teams.
EW 0–Germantown 3
22-25, 27-29, 19-25
The Jesters had a great game with the Germantown Clippers; a strong team the Jesters were excited and ready to play. The first set got Emma Willards’ blood flowing after a long drive, with numerous intense volleys at the net, where Annie put down a block and Fatima had 2. Mary provided solid, consistent serving and setting to keep it close. Unfortunately, an elbow to the eye pulled Melissa off the court, but Chelsea stepped in effectively, and Melissa was able to return later in the match. The second set was a marathon, as the two teams traded serves and dueled at the net. Fatima added 4 decisive blocks to her total, shutting down some of the Germantown offense, while Annie, Libby, Wanda, and Fatima all had a kill. Though the Jesters had a couple of chances to put this set away, Germantown persisted for the win. The third and final set was more of a struggle for the tired teams, but Libby and Wanda’s consistent serving and Annie’s backcourt digs kept Germantown from running away with it. It was an exciting, well-played match on both sides of the net; congratulations to both teams!
EW 0–Waterford 3
15-25, 11-25, 15-25
Emma Willard faced its toughest opponent to date in Waterford last Thursday, and for the first time, struggled to keep their focus. Though the Jesters were caught off balance, they still succeeded in putting together some excellent points. In the first set, Libby and Mary put up two assists each as they set up each other and center hitters Annie and Fatima for kills. Strong blocking also kept the team in the first set as Libby, Fatima, Annie, and Melissa each stopped the ball from coming over the net. Nonetheless, Emma Willard never gained the momentum, and Waterford served and hit their way to a win. The second set had some bright moments as Annie earned a kill, and Mary and Katie each put down an ace, but serving errors and uneven communication kept the team from capitalizing. With nothing to lose in the third set, the team relaxed and played some better volleyball, with strong passes from the backcourt and the best run of serves on the day from Wanda. It was a tough loss, but the Jesters will bounce back!
EW 3–Watervliet 2
25-19, 25-10, 22-25, 24-26, 25-13
Emma Willard explored the side roads of Watervliet on the way to their first non-league opponent of the season. It took a few points for the Jesters to focus in the first set, but then they got down to business behind an impressive run of serves by co-captain Libby, including six aces. Fatima also contributed three aces in the first, and Wanda played a strong set at the net, with a kill and a block. The team came out even stronger in the second, even though Katie and Jennifer were coming in for the first time in the match. With another set of substitutions in the third, however, it became more challenging for teammates less accustomed to each other’s play, and a series of miscommunications gave Watervliet just enough room to come through with a win behind some strong serving. Emma Willard kept it close in both the third and fourth sets, however, as newer players gained important experience on the court. Setters Libby and Mary provided the anchors for a completely reworked line-up in the fourth set. The play was unpredictable and exciting at the net as each team battled for supremacy; ultimately, Watervliet was able to gain victory to tie the match at two sets each. In their first experience this season with a five-set match, the Emma Willard starters settled down comfortably, putting away a series of serves and hits and playing effective defense to finally defeat the host team. It was a fun match and valuable experience for all!
EW 0–Loudonville Christian 3
10-25, 12-25, 5-25
In its second game of a busy week, Emma Willard volleyball traveled across the Hudson to face a powerful Loudonville Christian team. Aware of Loudonville’s winning season, the Jesters were prepared for a challenging match but nonetheless found themselves struggling to handle Loudonville’s serves. Still, the back row passers, including Annie, Chelsea, Fatima, and Melissa, never gave up the effort and succeeded in putting some admirable passes up to setters Libby and Mary. The first set included some exciting points, as Emma refused to lie down. In the second, Katie came in for Melissa and took some good swings at the net. Wanda and Fatima were also strong at the net; Fatima had a monster block midway through the set. In addition, the Jesters’ serving in the second set improved. Tired after some long rallies, however, the team couldn’t get any momentum going in the third set, despite Jennifer’s fresh legs and the continuing hustle of the team as a whole. In spite of the score, Emma Willard came away feeling good about some fun rallies and points during the match.
EW 2–Berlin 3
25-12, 20-25, 25-15, 24-26, 13-25
As the team prepared to play the second half of the season, they had high hopes that they could give Berlin a tougher match than they had earlier in the fall. Those hopes were met, taking the visiting Mountaineers to five games, but the Jesters were disappointed that they couldn’t quite win the match. Berlin was slow to get started in the first set, which Emma won quite readily behind the strong serving of Mary and Annie and the hitting of Libby and Fatima. The second set was closer, as the two teams traded points until midway through, when a run of strong serves put Berlin ahead for good. In the third, Wanda’s killer serve came back to her and combined with Fatima’s hitting for a win to put Emma up two sets to one. The fourth set was an exciting marathon that included key blocks by Annie and Fatima and powerful serving from Mary. The Jesters were one point from a win but couldn’t put it away; Berlin won to send the game to a fifth and final set. Unfortunately, Emma had lost its momentum and, in spite of strong effort on the floor and support from the bench and fans, couldn’t stop the Mountaineers. It was a fun and exciting match for both teams.
EW 3–Waterford 2
25-21, 25-27, 27-25, 19-25, 25-14
In its more impressive game of the season, Emma Willard volleyball won a hard fought rematch with Waterford. Their first match of the season had been a disappointment for the Jesters, and the team entered Wednesday’s match determined to play better. They succeeded beyond all expectations! Waterford started the first set slowly; a number of missed serves helped Emma gain momentum. At the same time, Emma came out swinging. The team’s serving and hitting was powerful, and their defense hard to penetrate. Great blocking and hitting from Annie and Fatima was matched by the diving saves and sets of Libby and Mary. Katie also contributed point-saving plays from the back row, and Wanda had some great hits. Wanda continued her winning ways in the second match with attacks at the net. Annie, too, played her heart out in the second, jumping over and over at the net to spike and block. Emma’s serving was less consistent, however, and the visiting Waterford’s serving improved; after trading points, the latter came out on top of the second set. Undaunted, Emma came back in the third set to win an equally exciting and close one, going ahead two sets to one; they benefited from Cami’s effective and consistent serving. With all their incredible dives and saves, the Jesters hit a wall in the fourth game; they fell far behind their opponent, struggling to make basic plays. In the second half of the set, however, they began to regroup, and though they didn’t win the set, they managed to close the gap impressively. Though it seemed as if the momentum was going Waterford’s way by the fifth and final match, Emma took control early and had pulled away decisively by the thirteen point side change. Waterford, missing one of their key defenders to illness, wasn’t able to regroup, and the Jesters won the fifth decisively. Undeterred by bloodied knees, team captains Libby and Annie (who had 9 kills and 6 blocks on the match) helped the team to a fun and impressive victory.
EW 3–Hawthorne Valley 1
25-23, 25-19, 17-25, 25-14
The Jesters competed in their last away game with Hawthorne Valley. As always, Mary started off the game with her powerful serves and beautiful sets. Nonetheless, the team fell behind early, clearly still shaking off the effects of a long bus ride. They were able to claw their way back to win the first set by a whisker; Libby’s consistent serving provided the team with more solid footing, while Annie’s play earned key points, with an ace and two blocks. In the second set, the hitters came to life, as Annie and Libby each put down two kills, while Fatima had three. Chelsea and Katie hustled to dig the ball and keep the team in it as they took the second set. In the third, however, the team’s serving was less consistent, and the Jesters struggled to control the balls coming over the net, in spite of good digs by Angel, Annie, and Mary. The fourth and final set saw the visiting Emma Willard team take better control of their game. In particular, Wanda put down five aces in a row to give the team all the momentum they needed to finish on top. Everyone on the team had a chance to play and contribute to the victory.
EW 3–New Lebanon 1
25-19, 16-25, 25-9, 25-22
In a game rescheduled from last week, the host Emma Willard team was able to even out its league record with a win over New Lebanon. The Jesters started a little slowly, with a number of serving errors in the first set, but were able to pull out a win behind Libby’s setting and hitting as well as kills from Wanda, Katie, and Annie and some key blocks by Annie, Fatima, and Mary. Jen and Cami came into the rotation in the second set, but the team never gained any momentum, thwarted by some excellent serving by their opponent and consistent, minor errors; New Lebanon won to tie the sets at one each. In the third, the home team came out swinging; between Fatima’s net play and Wanda’s serving, they easily took back the lead. The fourth and final set was an even battle, as both teams found ways to win, and lose, points that kept the other from pulling away. In the end, however, the Jesters persevered to take the match.
EW 2–Germantown 3
25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 20-25, 21-25
Emma Willard played host to Germantown in front of a supportive Parent Days crowd on Friday. The home team was pumped up and readily took the first set behind Fatima and Mary’s solid serving and the net attack of Annie and Fatima. By the second set, however, Germantown’s servers settled down and began to rocket the ball over the net. Emma’s serve receive did a great job of handling the onslaught for the rest of the match, but the team was unable to take the second set. They came out strong in the third, however; Mary and Libby were setting well, and Fatima and Annie took full advantage by putting down multiple kills. The fourth set started off at a manic pace, as both teams dueled it out at the net. There were some incredible defensive plays on the Jesters’ side, including an impressive series of digs by Katie and Fatima to keep the ball alive. Though their play settled down after the first few points, Emma Willard fell behind halfway through the set, victim to Germantown’s serves. Though they fought hard to come back, the team couldn’t pull off the win, and the match went to a fifth and final set. For the first half of the set, Emma Willard was a team on fire, at one point taking a commanding 11-2 lead behind Wanda’s serving. In switching sides midway through the match, however, the momentum shifted as well; Germantown came back strong. The Jesters held off their opponents for a time, but Germantown eventually put the set away to win the match. It was a fun and thrilling afternoon of volleyball.
EW 0–Loudonville Christian 3
8-25, 12-25, 7-25
After the long weekend break, Emma Willard returned to the court for a rematch with Loudonville Christian, hoping to demonstrate their ability to play with the league leaders. Perhaps because of the break, however, or because of Loudonville’s powerful serving and great defense, the Jesters could not get a foothold in the match. Poor serving in the first set was a sign that the team was having trouble concentrating, though a kill by Libby and a block by Fatima helped Emma win some points. They came out with more purpose in the second set; Mary served an ace, and Fatima put down 2 more blocks while Annie contributed a third to challenge Loudonville’s strong net game. The third and final set was over quickly, however, in spite of the Jester’s determination and scrappiness. Though they may have wished for a better showing in their final home game of the season, the team never gave up; they held their heads high and enjoyed taking hits for awhile after the match, keeping the experience positive.
EW 3–Watervliet 0
25-15, 25-19, 25-20
Emma Willard travelled to Watervliet for their final game of the season. Though originally scheduled as a home game, the team willingly adjusted to a transportation problem their opponent was experiencing. Fortunately for Annie, who missed the bus, the trip is short; a generous ride from Ms. Bridges allowed her to join in her final match as an Emma Willard senior. Fellow captain Libby helped the team to a win in the first set with a kill, while Mary had 4 aces and a dig. Fatima added 2 aces of her own and played tough at the net, putting down a block. Wanda stepped into the middle hitting position for Annie in the first, then came out swinging in the second with 2 aces and 2 kills. Katie contributed an ace in the second, and Annie came in to put down a kill and an ace. Even as the Jesters continued to play strong, consistent volleyball, Watervliet gained momentum in each match, pulling closer and closer to a win. Emma Willard held them off in the third, however; Fatima led the way with 8 aces, 3 kills, and a block as the team won their last match to end the season at 7-7 overall, 5-7 league. Emma Willard volleyball improved with every game and had a fun, positive season!
