Third Time is the Charm for Girls Volleyball and Tennis League Champs

Poly is thrilled to share that Girls Varsity Volleyball and Girls Varsity Tennis played outstanding seasons, with volleyball earning the title of Prep League Champs for the third year in a row and tennis winning the same title for three out of the past four years. It seems like “three” is a lucky number for both teams! PolyNews spoke with coaches Katrina Damasco-Dicipulo of volleyball and J.D. Gladden of tennis to learn more about their special seasons. Read on for our interview with them.

How do you feel knowing girls volleyball/tennis have enjoyed simultaneous and repeated victories?
Katrina: From an athletics standpoint, it's really encouraging knowing our programs through COVID have remained strong and competitive. Going into another COVID year, we were hesitant about what our next season looked like, but both programs have remained strong and brought new girls on to have another successful season.

J.D.: I think it's awesome!  We are excited to share in the success of the volleyball team and look forward to future glory for both Poly sports. That both sports create opportunities for young women to smash/spike the ball is an added perk.

To what do you attribute your repeated success?
Katrina: The team's success is directly correlated with the hard work and commitment of the girls on the team. It was important for our returners to exemplify and pass down our team values of hard work and a team-first mentality, specifically to our sophomores and freshmen. This was their first season playing high school volleyball, and to be able to define standards and expectations for the underclassmen was important and helped the team work in sync with one another. 

J.D.: We believe in ourselves and each other, and we never give up. 

Where is the program headed in the future?
Katrina: This season, the team graduated two integral seniors. They brought leadership and a lot of character to the team. We will miss them tremendously, but they leave behind a great legacy for the team to continue. I'm also confident in the rising senior class that they will continue to set a high standard and level of expectations for their teammates. If we can continue to put value in our hard work and team-first mentality, we hope for continued success.

J.D.:
The future is very bright for Poly tennis! With five of our nine starting players being underclasswomen, we expect to continue improving and dominating for years to come!
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