John Jay Volleyball Ready to Turn Things Around

John Jay has gotten off to frustrating 0-6 start but with its impressive trio of senior co-captains, coach Tom Rizzotti is confident that the team will turn things around.

"The senior leadership so far is helping a lot of younger girls," Rizzotti said. "Tess Lowth, Alexis Ring and Olivia Ferriero have been doing a great job getting the team into a place that we are going to start winning very soon."

Lowth is an outside hitter, Ring a middle hitter and Ferriero a setter.

As for Lowth, Rizzotti is very pleased with the growth that she has made in developing her game.

"She is hitting the best she has hit the three years she has been here," Rizzotti said. "She is placing the ball well."

Like Lowth, Rizzotti has also seen Ring take her game to another level.

"Alexis, her biggest attribute is her desire to win," Rizzotti said. "Her game has improved dramatically over last year."

Just like her two fellow co-captains, Ferriero has made improvements with her game.

"When it comes to Olivia's game, her court sense and just her awareness is great," Rizzotti said.

What Rizzotti especially likes about the way his three co-captains conduct themselves is the fact that they have given everything they've got since the first day of practice Aug. 23.

"From almost any situation, whether it be from warm-ups to a high-competitive drill to conditioning, these are the three that are the most vocal in getting the other girls to push themselves," Rizzotti said. "They are pushing themselves as hard they can possibly push themselves and that is a great example for the rest of the girls to follow."

Following the example of the co-captains and setting a great example on her own is another retuning player, junior libero Paige Bennett. Rizzotti is very impressed with how Bennett is seeing the ball.

"She covers a lot of court and her desire to win is tremendous," Rizzotti said. "She doesn't want let a ball land. She pushes as hard as anyone can."

Three are also three key newcomers that provide plenty of height for John Jay as they are all 5-foot-10. They are junior middle hitter Christina Hafkemeyer, who jumps the highest on the team, sophomore outside hitter Ellie Schneidman and sophomore right hitter Sydney Glenn.

"This is one of the bigger teams I have ever had," Rizzotti said.