George Stevens Academy fans show their school spirit by wearing white GSA shirts during a home volleyball match against Bucksport on October 1. Courtesy of Mark Messer
Blue Hill—With five matches left in the regular season, the George Stevens Academy volleyball team is positioned to host a playoff game for the first time in the program’s four-year run.
The Eagles are 7-2 and in fourth place in Class C, with the latest win coming in a home “White Out” match against Bucksport on October 1. Fans wore white GSA shirts to show their support for the home team. The Eagles won 3-0.
The team’s only losses have come against top-ranked Calais and third place Narraguagus. The later match went into five sets, a first on the season for the Eagles.
GSA dropped the first set 21-25, before battling to a 26-24 win in the second set. Narraguagus took control of the third set, 17-25, but the Eagles responded with a 25-19 win in the fourth set. The fifth and final set decided the contest, and GSA lost the match 2-3.
“I had a feeling within the first few points that night that we would be going to five games. Our girls played great and never ran out of gas. They served well and had great defense,” said co-coach Aleta Schmidt.
The loss came on Thursday, September 26, and the team asked for an extra Saturday practice to work on their hitting and receiving skills, according to co-coach Bonnie Marckoon.
“They are hungry to make it into the postseason,” she said.
With the playoffs still a few weeks away, the team is focused on the remaining matches, which include a rematch against Narraguagus on October 7. Schmidt said the team is “looking forward” to the game, which will be played at home, where the Eagles beat Narraguagus last season.
Home games have proved advantageous for the Eagles, who are 5-0 on their home court. A large contributing factor to that success has been the team’s loud and encouraging fan base.
“The girls love to get the crowd excited,” said Schmidt. “They feed off of it and they are looking forward to filling the stands at all of the home games.”
“We have a wonderful fan base,” added Marckoon. “We love our fans.”
The Eagles’ game against Narraguagus will also serve as a fundraiser for Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital’s oncology services for breast cancer patients. The “Dig Pink” event is scheduled for 5 p.m.