After the volleyball season was postponed in August 2020, no one knew if it was ever going to occur. The JCHS team had a few practices in the summer, but had to stop due to rising COVID cases. Shortly after, the state of New Jersey announced indoor sports, such as volleyball and gymnastics, would be played at a later date. This was devastating to players, coaches, and families. The Chiefs are very lucky to have started March 1 and will run to mid April. With little to no pre-season, the girls have been putting in a lot of hard work on their own to prepare for the season. They recently played their first and only scrimmage at Bogota High School on Friday, March 12 where they competed against a very tough opponent. They have been practicing everyday and know each day they have together is a blessing. The season could end at any point and the team is grateful to be on the court everyday. All they want is to have a season with some sense of normality, so mask wearing and social distancing is playing a huge role in having a successful season. The team won their first game on March 16 against West Essex, playing very well, winning in two sets. The victory gave them a lot of momentum heading into the rest of their season.
The team lost five great seniors last year, but the remaining veterans are ready to step up. The returning seniors are Jamie Pierce, Erica Maloney, Erin McCann, Jolie Demiro, Isabel Ruggiero, and Casey Sheehan. Each player has a big role on the team and they are all working together in such a short amount of time. Casey Sheehan added, “I hope we all play up to our potential this season. We have the chance to do well and come out with a winning record. We are all excited.” Other key players include Christine Inflantalino, Sarah Sherwood, Lulu Ceccon, and Casey Pac. The seniors have been working with the younger girls to get them ready to compete at the varsity level. Since the pre-season was only two weeks, the team really has each other’s backs and are continuously helping each other. The team is overall grateful to be back in the gym and are excited to finally play!
