Revant Jear ’28
Oct 17, 2025
Last week, the Blue Storm girls volleyball team hosted Frederick Force for an anticipated Pink Out match in honor of Cancer Awareness Month. The match was a close battle, with Frederick Force taking the first game 25–16 before a hard-fighting Storm came back to win the second 25–13 and tie the match. The final two games were fought intensely, but the Storm ultimately fell 25–11 and 25–17, for a final score of 3–1.
In the days leading up to the match, the team focused on sharpening fundamentals and court coordination. Sofia Monroy Santiago ’28 said, “At practice, we just focus on the basics because you can’t really do much without them. We also work on covering and scrimmaging to keep strengthening our fluidity on the court.”
Kesiana Mononia ’28 added, “The team has been working hard on improving our serve and receive skills. We’ve also been focusing on covering each other.”
Several players highlighted communication as one of the team’s greatest strengths. Clare Mohr ’29 said, “One of our biggest strengths is being able to distribute the sets and run offenses from all spots on the court.” Monroy agreed, saying, “I think our biggest strength is communication. Whether on or off the court, everyone has each other’s backs, and we always know what’s happening so we can get more consistent plays and rallies.”
Iyla Kwon ’27 echoed this sentiment: “Everyone knows what they’re doing, and they’re really trying to talk with each other.”
Kwon also noted the team’s youth. “Our team doesn’t have a senior, meaning juniors are the captains,” she said. Despite this, the team’s leadership remains strong. Head Coach Will Hill commented, “Leadership is coming along much better than day one. Off the court, it’s super.”
Younger players have also stepped up. “I’ve become a better leader by looking up to the captains and upperclassmen and following by example,” said Mohr. She reflected on a recent highlight: “One match that stood out was our game against James Buchanan. We weren’t the most confident going in because of their record compared to ours, but winning that game made us much more confident going into tough matches.”
Lena Wilke ’27 added, “Having been a starter on varsity since my freshman year, I can say without a doubt that our game two weeks ago against JB was the best the team has ever played. We carried a lot of momentum against a team we didn’t think we were going to beat.”
Coach Hill continues to emphasize growth and resilience. “My goal is to get better each day—play hard every game, and the outcome will take care of itself,” he said. Mononia shared how his coaching has personally helped her: “Coach Will and I have been working a lot on blocking and what to do when I’m not blocking. These efforts help the team work better together.”
Hill also noted the importance of reviewing and learning from mistakes. “We look at film, analyze our mistakes, and build from there,” he said.
As the season progresses, the team remains determined to learn from the past and looks ahead to even stronger performances.