Derrick Park '25
Feb 3, 2023
The Blue Storm girls varsity basketball team is enjoying its most successful season in recent years with a current record of 9-9 overall and a 3-2 finish in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League.
The positive dynamic between returning and new players explains the team’s success. All players have stood up as leaders on and off the court and have proven their talents to bring home numerous wins
Head coach Paul Sipes said, “Our team is awesome. Each player does something different to help us win and push each other to get better in their practices. Different players have stepped up at different points of the season.”
The leadership shown by co-captains Maddie Goodhart ’24 and Rachel Hull ’23 consistently elevates the team. The team is also full of talented young performers. Key players like Leilani Isel-Register ’24 and Annie Mohr ’26 consistently prove themselves on the court.
“Leilani really carried us through Blair, a comeback win at Washington HS and a win against Hill, but in other games, Annie had gone crazy and scored over 20 points in a few games this season. Madison and Rachel have had huge roles as captains leading our teams in rebounds and steals respectively,” said Sipes.
Sipes added, “We have had a few really solid games including a near upset of central OH powerhouse Hathaway Brown at the Western Reserve Tournament, a revenge win against St. John Paul the Great at the She Got Game tournament, knocking off Hill and Lawrenceville at home, beating Goretti, and the comeback win at Washington. We are a wild team to watch.”
The players also feel the positive atmosphere that the team has built. Mohr said, “It was very hard for us to bond at the beginning of the season because there were only three returning players. As the season went on, we bonded more as a team and learned how to play better together.”
The team’s goal is to make it to the championship games for both Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletics Association (PAISAA) and MAPL tournaments, no easy feat, but their hope is that their strong morale will push them to exceed even their own expectations for the rest of the season.