The Varsity Girls’ Volleyball season came to a bittersweet ending on a Tuesday night, when the team played Cardinal Gibbons in its semi-final district match.  “Bitter because we didn’t win,” said senior captain Nicole Rosenberg, “but so sweet because I love all the girls so much, and every one of us had the greatest game we’ve ever had.”  It was also the last game for both Senior captains, Evita Conway and Nicole Rosenberg.  Coach Albert Sturgeon believed Conway was the most valuable player this year despite her injury, saying that “she had to carry the team sometimes.”  Junior captain Genna Luciano felt great sympathy for the two Senior captains as the season came to a close.  “It was definitely hard to watch the seniors, Evita and Nicole, my two best friends, play their last game.  Our team will never be the same without them,” said Luciano.  The final score, in games, was three to one in favor of Gibbons, but one game alone cannot represent the girls’ season as a whole.  They finished with a winning record of 11-9, despite the team’s strong difficulty of schedule.  Five of the their nine losses were to opponents that made it to the state championship.  Moreover, Gibbons, the team that they played in the semi-final match, has a substantial legacy in Varsity Girls’ Volleyball.  Cardinal Gibbons has the most state championships in the state of Florida, and it would have been the first time in the team’s school history to not participate in postseason play if the school lost to Pine Crest.  With that said, it was challenging to beat a team with so much pressure to keep its legacy going.  Also, the Panthers play in the 4A division, the toughest division in Florida for volleyball.  Furthermore, the team had to rely on its youth at times, with three 8th graders, two Freshmen, and two Sophomores all contributing on the court.  However, the vast amount of young players on the team provides for a bright future.  Within the next three years, Coach Sturgeon expects to win a state championship, though he believes it will require a great deal of effort.  “We have to be in the gym, we have to workout, we have to do summer training, we have to commit, and we have to sacrifice”, said Sturgeon.  Luciano also views the volleyball program with great optimism.  “I personally think our team grew and got better every game, and we can only go up from here,” said Luciano.  Overall, despite the tough loss in the playoff match, the Varsity Girls’ Volleyball program looks to be headed in the right direction toward success in the near future.