By Ashley Pavlakis
Cover credit – Jon Singh
The Patriots of Ward Melville High School have a long-standing history of success in athletics, and the girls’ varsity volleyball team is no different. The Patriots celebrated their seven seniors last Tuesday night versus the Long Wood Lions in dominant fashion.
The girls’ varsity volleyball team is led by head coach Haley Blunt, a Patriot alum who excelled in volleyball, softball, and track during her time at Ward Melville. It’s a full circle moment for Blunt, as she’s in her ninth season as a coach for the Patriots. She has her team on a historic run, as they’re 16-0-0 with one game left to play in the regular season. The Patriots are four-time League Champions (regular season), securing the title with a win on Monday night.
Volleyball is played in sets; each set is determined by the first team to notch 25 points. The Patriots have dominated their opponents by taking the match in 3 sets, only needing a fourth set twice all season.
“We do have a very talented crew this year. Our league has a tendency to change year after year based on enrollment. In terms of who we’re going to be up against it could vary based on the season. However, we don’t allow that to dictate how we are or are not going to prepare. Everyone we face is a threat to our record and what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Haley Blunt. “The girls do a great job of taking practice seriously and playing how they plan to play in a game like they do at practice, which helps us prepare for all levels of competition. I found this season that the girls are very cohesive and always excited to compete on game day. They’ve done a really good job of getting the job done.”
Senior night is a tradition amongst high school and collegiate athletic teams to celebrate the seniors who put in four years of hard work and dedication to their team.
“Senior night is always emotional; it just means that you’re coming to the tail end of the regular season. We find that it’s a turning point in the season where it’s starting to hit our upperclassmen that the guaranteed matches are coming to a close. The transition into the postseason is always what we look forward to most, but it’s also additional pressure and can be a little sad and scary at the same time. It’s just an interesting feeling because we’re so excited for it but it reiterates how important it is to continue showing up and giving our best effort because you never know when you’re going to be playing your last match,” Blunt told The Messenger.
The seven seniors who were celebrated for their contributions to the Patriots, on and off the court, were Emma Bradshaw, Emily Shields, Alexa Gandolfo, Ava Saunders, Megan O’Donnell, Yilin Chen, and Katie Specht.
“I’m excited for them, I know that competing at the next level is not for everyone. It’s definitely a big commitment. I do encourage and support the girls who want to pursue, focus, and dial in on academics or other clubs or hobbies. They get my support no matter what, I think the college player in myself is always extra excited that some of these girls do go on to experience college volleyball because it’s incredible. These girls grow up with the sport being such a big part of their life, it’s a big transition to hop into the next level of volleyball, but also a big transition to not be playing anymore,” said Blunt.
