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11/28/2020 11:00 PMThe North Branford girls’ volleyball squad had to deal with the loss of 14 graduating seniors from last year’s team as it entered the 2020 season. While the Thunderbirds struggled to find their footing early on, they played better as the campaign progressed and wound up earning a win in the Shoreline Conference Tournament.
North Branford picked up its first victory when it defeated Cromwell by a 3-0 score in its seventh match of the season. The T-Birds went on to defeat that same Cromwell squad in the Shoreline Conference Tournament, ultimately finishing the year with an overall record of 3-9.
While North Branford was hoping for a better record, Head Coach Tori Ramada was happy to see her athletes learn how to play together after the T-Birds lost so many players to graduation.
“Our record did not indicate our improvement overall as a team. We lost so many seniors. This was a new team on the court. They needed to adjust and work together to improve as a team and individually,” said Ramada. “Although we did not win as many matches as we hoped, we were more successful in individual sets...Having the privilege to play in this time was a blessing and motivation for the team.”
North Branford earned its second win of the year with a 3-1 victory against East Hampton. The T-Birds then competed in the Shoreline Conference Tournament and claimed a 3-0 first-round victory versus Cromwell for their third win on the campaign.
“The win against Cromwell was definitely a good feeling,” Coach Ramada said. “You could tell the energy was high throughout the match, and the outcome really gave them more confidence as a team. We were so proud of them.”
North Branford’s season came to a close with a 3-0 loss to Haddam-Killingworth in the quarterfinal round of the Shoreline Conference Tournament. Despite the defeat, Coach Ramada was proud of the way her team competed against a Cougars’ club that went on to win the Shoreline title.
“H-K played phenomenal all year. We played them the week before and went 28-26 in one set. With that and the win against Cromwell, the girls were ready to take on the No. 1 seed,” said Ramada. “We told them that as long as they played well and left everything on the court, we’d be proud of them. And they did.”
As North Branford tried to fill the void of 14 graduating seniors, Coach Ramada knew that the three seniors on this year’s team were all going to play a pivotal role for the T-Birds. In the end, Ramada felt that middle blockers Emily Olson and Summer Graver and outside hitter Mackenzie Burwell grew as both players and leaders during their senior seasons. Olson and Burwell served as North Branford’s captains alongside junior Marissa Ricardo.
“All three seniors have been phenomenal since I’ve been coaching them,” Ramada said. “Each of them have brought something different to the team, and they all worked well with the rest of the team. They were natural leaders and so encouraging to the rest of the team.”
In terms of her returning players, Coach Ramada is eager to see continued progress from Ricardo, who earned All-Shoreline Conference Honorable Mention this fall. Ramada is also expecting to see current juniors like outside hitter Carley Parente, libero Franceska Stakaj, and setters Catherine Pollock, Makenna Stone, and Sheyenne Rivera to keep making strides in 2021.
“Next year we are going to have 11 talented seniors that will work hard in the offseason by going to camps, playing in leagues, and practicing in their free time. I have very high expectations for them next season as they work individually and as a team in the offseason,” Coach Ramada said. “Although I am sad that we are losing our three seniors that contributed significantly to the team, I am looking forward to next season and having the girls come back with more varsity experience under their belts.”
Several athletes who saw major minutes for North Branford this year had never even played in a varsity match prior to the season. However, through all of the ups and downs, Coach Ramada was pleased to see her athletes fight hard right through the final point, while enjoying the experience of sharing the court together.
“The season was special for so many reasons—the most obvious being that we were able to play in a pandemic. I couldn’t be more proud of these girls and the hard work they have shown since the summer,” said Coach Ramada. “The turnout for summer conditioning was the highest it has ever been since I’ve been coaching. The girls were so ready to play, and they played every day like it was their last day. These girls didn’t let anything bother them. As long as they were able to play together, they were happy.”
The North Branford girls’ volleyball team’s roster was senior captains Emily Olson and Mackenzie Burwell; senior Summer Graver; junior captain Marissa Ricardo; juniors Kate Mellilo, Isabella Hills, Jade Acupina, Franceska Stakaj, Alyiah Carter, Carley Parente, Catherine Pollock, Makenna Stone, and Tara Cassista; sophomores Spencer Carroll and Danielle Minicucci; and freshmen Kiley Mullins, Gianna Carter, Aurora Andrianoff, and Noelle Small.