Girls Volleyball Team Starts Season with a Victory

With expectations high, the Lincoln-Sudbury girls volleyball team began its season with something they've grown accustomed to over the years — a victory.

The Warriors came ready to play in the first match of the season, defeating Brookline 3-1 in sets, in front of a capacity-filled crowd in the gymnasium at Lincoln-Sudbury High School.

Lincoln-Sudbury (1-0) won the first two sets, 25-19, 25-18. The team struggled in the third set, falling 25-19, before closing out Brookline (0-1) with 25-17 win in the fourth.

In that set, senior Meagan Simons, a libero or defensive specialist, made many digs to keep points alive. Despite falling behind early in the set 4-0, a 20-7 run allowed them to take control.

An overall breakdown cost Lincoln-Sudbury the third set.

"Our passing broke down, we couldn't get the ball to the setter, and we weren't forcing mistakes like we did in the first two sets," Katalina said.

In the second set, the L-S attack proved too much for Brookline. Senior setter Kayla Ngan was solid the entire match, as she constantly set up senior middle hitter Lindsey Jones and other teammates, including sophomore Alex Braverman, resulting in several kills.

In the first set, L-S trailed 5-1 before going on a run to win the set. Jones and  Simons helped carry the load for the Warriors attack. Emily Rudder, also a senior middle hitter, played a big role in the first-set victory.

"We are a young team, we make youthful mistakes, but they are things we can fix easily," Katalina said.

The Warriors also got strong play from sophomore Mandy Sifferlan and junior Megan Sanford.

"I am pleased with the win," said Katalina. "Communication is key."

Next up for the Warriors is a playdate in Marlboro.

"These games don't count," said Katalina when talking about the upcoming jamboree-based match-ups. "We have the chance to work on some things before our next few games."

The Warriors' next regular-season game is at home on Sept. 14 against Weston.