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10/02/2016 12:00 AMBehind the strength of some great team chemistry on the court, the Hand girls’ volleyball team is building on last year’s success and looks to be on the fast track toward an even better season this fall.
Head Coach Ally Johnson’s Tigers were 12-6 for the regular season and shared the SCC Hammonasset Division crown with Foran and Guilford in 2015. Hand then won two matches in the SCC Tournament and beat Mercy in five sets in states before losing to Fitch to finish with a record of 15-8. Thus far this season, the Tigers have clawed their way to a 9-1 start that includes a 4-0 divisional mark thanks in large part to everyone on the squad playing for the person next to them.
“Off the court, we’ve kept talking about playing as one group rather than six individuals and they’ve done a tremendous job with that so far,” said Coach Johnson. “They are winning games because of that and having fun doing it. One of our goals is always to have a better record than we did the previous yea, and we are well on our way to doing that.”
Hand claimed victory in all three of its matches last week. On Sept. 26, the Tigers grabbed their latest division win with a 3-0 (25-6, 25-9, 25-7) sweep of Career. Hand then downed East Haven two days later by a 3-1 (25-11, 21-25, 25-19, 25-23) count. The Tigers later swept aside non-conference opponent Oxford 3-0 with set scores of 25-13, 25-8, 25-18.
At captain for Hand this season are three seniors in libero Olivia Finke, middle hitter Amanda Gentile, and setter Chika Ogbejesi. While each athlete brings something different to the table in terms of her skill set, they’ve all earned the “C” on their jersey due to their ability to help their teammates grow.
“On and off the court, Olivia motivates all the girls. She is always motivating and encouraging them. Chika is the glue that holds the team together. It all goes through her on the court. People feed off of her energy no matter what,” said Coach Johnson. “Amanda is our go-to hitter. The girls look to her when they need help and motivation.”
Further bolstering the Tigers’ lineup are two first-year varsity players in outside hitter Olivia Amplo and fellow junior Halle Freund, plus senior outside hitter Kaitlyn Martin. Coach Johnson said that each athlete brings the right balance of aggression and poise to the Tigers.
“Halle has stepped up to the plate tremendously. She is hitting the ball and putting it away, which is great to see. Olivia has handled the leap from JV to varsity great. She’s aggressive around the net and has stepped up,” Johnson said. “I can put Kaitlyn in any position and she can handle it. She also helps the girls get involved in practice.”
In last week’s victory versus Career, Ogbejesi served up a dozen aces for Hand, while Martin added five kills and seven digs. Against East Haven, Freund had nine kills, Gentile tallied 17 kills and five blocks, Finke recorded 39 digs, and Martin had 26 digs. Taking on Oxford, Gentile had seven kills and seven blocks, Martin punched out a dozen digs, and Freund added eight kills with nine blocks to lead Coach Johnson’s club.
The Tigers are in a new-look SCC Oronoque Division with the likes of traditional rival Guilford, as well as West Haven, Career, and Mercy this year. Hand has already made some major headway in the division by defeating Guilford 3-1 on Sept. 16 and later knocking Mercy from the ranks of the unbeatens with a 3-1 decision on Sept. 21. Coach Johnson said the Tigers need to stick together and maintain their fire on the floor in order to keep up their winning pace.
“This year, it’s anyone’s game every night and it’s about the team that is ready to play. Mercy was undefeated going in, but they didn’t let that stop them, and they were able to win the game. Guilford is always our rival, but the girls fed off of the energy of our fans,” said Coach Johnson. “We are definitely playing together as a unit. Everyone is contributing and they are having fun with it. We have to continue to be aggressive at the net and, if we continue it, we will have great success.”
From the Sidelines
This is Ally Johnson’s third season as Hand’s head coach. Assisting on the Tigers’ staff this fall are JV coach Giovanni Meier, varsity assistant Linda LaSance, and freshman coach Scott Ferguson.
Hand’s four other wins this year came against West Haven (3-0), Lauralton Hall (3-0), Simsbury (3-1), and Sacred Heart Academy (3-2).