The girls volleyball team will look to rely on a senior-heavy group to rebound off of a disappointing 2018 season.

Coming off of a 13-24 record, expectations still remain high for the squad, in large part due to the eight seniors that will headline this year’s team. 

“We have a lot of seniors who have a lot of experience, and they are very dedicated to volleyball. I think their experience and dedication will help push them through,” head coach Elizabeth Brieva said.

While every team has consisted partially of seniors, what makes this group special is their level of commitment to the sport. Typically many of the team’s seniors are multi-sport athletes, but this year every senior is fully committed to volleyball, which they hope can translate to on-court production.

“All of the girls are super invested and committed to this team,” senior Rileigh Farragher said. “We’ve all been working really hard during club season and at camps, so we are ready to put our skills into action.”

Their high level of commitment to volleyball has resulted in a constant drive to improve. During practices, the team is quick to ask for more challenging practices when they feel they are not working at their highest level.

“[The senior class] has asked since freshman year to make [practices] harder, and they thrive off of more challenging workouts,” Brieva said.

“We all love to challenge each other to make each other better,” senior Emma Hinterhauser said. “Nobody likes losing, so if we can push each other during practice and can help each other on the court, I think we can get the outcome we want.”

Being the oldest on the team comes with responsibility not only on the court, but off of it as well. On top of their role as players on the team, seniors are expected to act as leaders for the younger members of the team, whether that be through setting an example to follow or offering emotional support.

“I want to make sure that communication is open. I hope all the new members can talk to us about anything and that we’re not a team but a family,” Hinterhauser said. “I definitely just want to encourage everyone on the court and make sure that if someone is down, I can be there for them and pick them back up.”

Eager to begin their final season together, the senior class is ready to make a name for themselves.

“Because it’s our last season, we’re super motivated to do our best this season and show everyone what we got,” Hinterhauser said.

The Kits will kick off their highly anticipated season at Maine East on Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.