[ot-caption title=”The girls’ varsity volleyball team warms up before a big match. (via Brittany Shore, Sophomore)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/volleyball1.jpg”]

The Pine Crest girls’ volleyball teams have had an incredible start to the young season. The JV squad is currently 2-1, while the varsity team boasts a perfect 7-0 record. Freshman JV starter Mikayla D’Ambra gave her opinion on both teams’ success, “We’re so thrilled to see the hard work from summer volleyball pay off.” That summer training consisted of working out in both the weight room and on the court, three days a week.

Besides coming into this season stronger, the Lady Panthers also have a few newcomers to the varsity team. Junior Samantha Baizan was moved up to the varsity level this season after working hard for the last two years on JV. Freshmen Grace Luciano and Shari Stenglein are also enjoying their first taste of varsity experience. Stenglein has played a key role for the Lady Panthers thus far, starting opposite and playing far beyond her freshman year. Luciano has also played well for PC, however only in short spurts, as her playing time has been spare. For Luciano, this season appears to be more of a learning experience, as she plays behind two experienced middle blockers in Brianna Bruny and Sydney Vreeland.

One thing the Lady Panthers did not have much of last year was senior leadership, as Genna Luciano was the lone senior on last year’s squad. This season, the Lady Panthers have the benefit of three seniors who are all major contributors to the team. Sydney Vreeland and Lauren Houle are fixtures in the Lady Panthers’ lineup, and Sara Shmueli, who as assumed the role of senior team captain, is a huge asset to the team’s defense.  Houle is arguably the Panther’s best offensive weapon, relying on vertical jump rather than size to slam the ball over the net for a kill. On the defensive side, the Panthers are led by junior libero, Sara Duque, a First Team All-County selection last year. Her near perfect serving and solid passing have been key for the Lady Panthers’ hot start to the season.

Coach Albert Sturgeon enters his fourth season as the varsity head coach and has some big goals for this season. When asked how he thought the season would play out, he responded, “We have our eyes set on a district title.” The way the Lady Panthers have been playing, a district title certainly seems within reach.

Perhaps what is so amazing about the Lady Panthers’ perfect start to the season is how they have done it. Until last Thursday’s game against Pompano Beach, all of Pine Crest’s wins had been 3-0 sweeps. Pompano Beach was the first team to give the Lady Panthers a scare all season. Pompano went up 2 sets to 0, before the resilient Lady Panthers won the next two sets to force a fifth set, in which they beat Pompano 15-7, marking the first time that Pine Crest has beat Pompano in the past 3 years. That game showed just how good the Lady Panthers really are, as they were able to bounce back and win the match after losing the first two sets.

Senior starting outside hitter, Lauren Houle, gave her opinion on how her team was able to make a huge comeback: “I think that we were able to make such a big comeback because we kept the energy and the intensity high until the end, and we made smart plays when it counted. I’m really proud of all the girls and especially of how supportive everyone was whether they were on the bench or on the court.”

The Lady Panthers’ next game is away at University School this Wednesday, however they return home to face Ransom Everglades next Tuesday at 5:00pm in Stacy Gym. This game could be the toughest match for the Lady Panthers so far, as Ransom comes into this season as the defending 4A State Champions, bulldozing through last season with a 30-3 record, including 8-0 in District play. This season the Raiders appear to be just as talented, as they are also currently undefeated with a 4-0 record. The matchup should make for an exciting one as both teams could potentially meet next Tuesday with undefeated records on the line. The Lady Panthers will need the support of everybody to help cheer them on, so do not forget to come out to Stacy Gym next Tuesday and help cheer your Lady Panthers to victory!