Blue Hill—The George Stevens Academy volleyball season may be over, after a 0-3 quarterfinal loss to Washington Academy on October 20, but for the team, just making into the postseason was a victory.
“[Making the playoffs] was my goal for the season,” said coach Bonnie Marckoon, who co-coaches the team along with Aleta Schmidt.
This is the third official season for the Eagles volleyball team. The program started at the varsity level in 2016, and the team struggled to find success in the first two years.
The 2018 season was different, though, as the team finished the regular season with a 6-8 record and a berth in the playoffs for the first time.
“We’re trying to build and grow this program, so coming from zero wins in 2017, to making quarterfinals in 2018 was huge for us,” said Schmidt.
They key to the season this year, according to both coaches, was the dedication and determination from the players at both the varsity level as well as junior varsity. Schmidt says the girls “hit a rough patch” during the season with injuries and sickness, which forced some of the JV players to step up on varsity.
“The girls showed up and pushed through,” said Schmidt. “They are very dedicated to each other.”
The Eagles were a tough team to beat at home this season, with five of their six wins coming on their home court. Two of those wins came against Narraguagus and Bucksport, both of which were highlights for Marckoon and Schmidt.
“[The girls] worked hard for those wins and they played very well,” said Marckoon.
Heading into the playoffs, the players did “a lot of team bonding” leading up to their quarterfinal match against Washington Academy. Schmidt said those efforts helped them prepare and go into the match relaxed and ready to play.
Despite the loss, both coaches said that the season was a successful one, and they are excited about the future of the program. With about seven freshmen players this season across the varsity and JV programs, many of the girls on the team will have the opportunity to play together for the next few years.
“We are really looking forward to watching this group of girls progress in the next few years because they are going to be fierce,” said Schmidt.