By: Suhana Dadlani '26 & Daphne Tsarnas '26
Notre Dame’s Junior Varsity volleyball team has shown strength and courage throughout their undefeated season. On Monday, October 17th, the Notre Dame JV Volleyball team won their 11th season game against Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, keeping their record (11-0). This week, Notre Dame is preparing for playoffs, where they will compete for the trophy and title of winners. After one of their games, I asked some players about themselves and their team's overall performance during the season. When one student, Jane Dempsey ‘26, was asked about how her team has improved up until this point she said, “I feel like we’ve been really strong. From the beginning of the summer practices, we weren’t really a team, it was freshman year, and I think throughout the 8 weeks we’ve been playing, we’ve grown very close and you can see that on and off the court. The communication, and the support that we all show each other, and I think the season has been really successful after this game. We are undefeated after 10 games.”
Another student, Desiree Pacia ‘26, was asked about what they do to prepare for games and their season saying, “It was good, we’re improving, we have a good coach. We do drills and practice, and we play awesome games, so a pretty good season!”
Julia Young ‘26 was asked about coming into the season late, and replied, “Everyone has been really welcoming and all understood the situation. Even though it got off to a rocky start, I feel like it ended on a good note.”
The JV volleyball team coach, Ms. Vulcano said “We’ve had a great team, they are definitely the strongest team in the league. They are undefeated, and they’ve played before. They are also friends too, which definitely helps with their gameplay and communication.”
At their game on October 15th at Cathedral High School, the Dragons actively demonstrated their passion for the game with effortless serves, forceful blocks, and an overall sense of teamwork that positively affected the dynamic on the court. The starters, Claire Doble ‘26, Gabby Avicolli ‘25, Jane Dempsey ‘26, Kate Diaz ‘25, Olivia Samuelsen ‘26, and Rowan DeMeo '26, set the tone right from the start, scoring nine points in the first eight minutes of the match. For the entire duration of the match, Notre Dame asserted the power, and unsurprisingly, they brought home the victory. Here’s what some players and their coach had to say about the team’s impressive season:
Q: Was there a specific player that played exceptionally well today that you would like to shout out?
Sophia Ramos ‘26: I can’t only choose one! I would like to acknowledge Rowan DeMeo '26 and Alannah Gallagher ‘25. Rowan played a position that she has never done before, and she handled that really well. Alannah was under a lot of pressure, but she was able to rise above that and allow the team to play better.
Olivia Samuelsen: I think Kate Diaz ‘25 was able to hit a lot of successful serves, which is surprisingly difficult.
Q: Why do you think the team has been so victorious? Is there a certain quality that you guys have that other teams across the city might lack?
Gabby Avicolli ‘25: We are all close friends off the court, so naturally, our chemistry is exceptional and we can cheer each other up when we are down.
Jane Dempsey ‘26: I think our communication on the court is so good because of the time we devote to practice. We train ourselves to become better players almost every day, and we are able to have each other’s backs during a game because of the effort we put in. It unites us even more.
Q: Can you share any overall thoughts about the team? What do you, as their coach, attribute to the team’s success?
Coach: This team is unique because of the passion they have for the game. They are so eager to get that win, and that is reflected in their playing and attitude on the court. The girls haven’t had an easy season. Amidst all of the changes that the team experienced behind the scenes, they didn’t let any difficulties bring them down; in fact, it just brought them closer. I couldn’t be more proud of them.
Due to their impeccable playing, our Dragons will have a chance to be the champions of the whole season. On November 12, the JV Dragons played the championship game against St. Joseph by the Sea. Though they lost, the team still received an award for placing second in the league. The girls have played phenomenally and will undoubtedly continue their streak next season! Congratulations Notre Dame JV volleyball!
Photos Courtesy of Olivia Samuelsen '26 and Notre Dame Instagram
Edited by: Sofia Rivera '26, Karina Mirenda '23, Natalia Cseh '23, and Ms. Brilliant
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