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09/27/2021 12:00 AMThe Morgan girls’ volleyball squad is putting together a solid season in the early stages of the campaign. The Huskies are a team in transition that is looking to integrate a large group with a dependable cadre of seniors along with a fair amount of inexperienced players. Head Coach Jessica Lynch and her student-athletes are having a great time throughout the process.
The Huskies have earned a record of 3-5, and last week they went 2-1 on the slate with their only loss coming against a formidable Hale-Ray squad. Coach Lynch has been encouraged by Morgan’s play.
“I think we’re definitely a work in progress. I think even from the beginning of the year, we’ve come a long way. A lot of season has been focused on building teamwork and communication,” Lynch said. “I think we’re continuing to improve. This year, we have a lot of kids that all contribute something different. It’s nice to have a team with not just one or two stars, but a collective group. It’s been fun to work with them.”
The Huskies’ identity this season has stemmed from their three senior captains, Maddie Davenport, Kate Robinson, and Ava Zirlis. Coach Lynch has valued their contributions this season.
“They’ve been great. They bring a lot of energy to the team,” Lynch said. “They’ve been positive role models not only for the varsity team but the program in general, especially after how weird of a year last year was. They are reminding people what real Morgan volleyball is.”
Just like the Huskies as a whole, Morgan’s captains bring their own variables to the equation.
“Maddie plays all around, but mostly hits outside. She’s been the greatest staple as a player, but she’s also a very vocal leader, as well,” said Lynch. “Kate brings a lot of energy as a back-row player. She makes her biggest impact defensively. Ava’s a middle hitter. She’s been a good blocker for us this year. She brings a lot of height and energy.”
Last week, the Huskies grabbed wins against Amistad and North Branford before dropping their last contest of the week to Hale-Ray. On Sept. 20, Morgan notched a 3-0 road win against the Wolves. The Huskies won each set handily going 25-6, 25-11, and 25-17. Morgan found playing time for 15 players in the victory. Coach Lynch thought the Huskies showed improvement in regards to what they had been working on in practice.
“I think this is the game where we started to gain some momentum. We got all our players into the game,” said Lynch. “We were struggling with a few injuries. Kids tried some different positions, and they gained some confidence in their versatility as players.”
Two days later, Morgan headed to North Branford and triumphed 3-0 over the Thunderbirds. The Huskies handled North Branford with a sweep, but the set scores showed that both teams really battled in the match. Morgan won the first set 25-18, then took the second set 25-15, and earned a 25-20 victory in what would be the final frame of the match. Coach Lynch thought her squad showed tremendous vitality on the court.
“It was a lot more of an energetic game. I think even the kids surprised themselves in how well they played that game. They were all over the floor and getting to everything,” said Lynch. “That was a turning-point game for us in a lot of ways.”
The Huskies tightened up their rotation a bit with 11 players seeing the court against the Thunderbirds. Davenport had a great game with 17 digs, seven receptions, a kill, and an ace, while the back row had a pretty solid showing digging out a bunch of balls. Senior libero Alex Duval had 10 digs and eight receptions, while fellow senior Sydney Scanlon had eight digs and two receptions. Senior Kiley Geoghegan provided five digs and three receptions.
“I think they are still working on their movement together, but they have definitely stepped up in a leadership position too,” said Coach Lynch. “We have a lot of seniors that bring something different to the team. Each contribute something different and contribute something that another may lack.”
Junior setter Eva O’Sullivan provided 10 assists, four aces, two kills, and five digs, while junior Kacey Edwards supplied four digs, five receptions, and one kill. Coach Lynch has been impressed by her juniors as a whole after having to spend last season relegated exclusively to the junior varsity squad due to COVID protocols.
“This is Eva’s first year taking on that varsity setter position. She’s doing a great job running the offense and playing a full game with a mask on. Kacey’s really developed her game a lot and become one of power hitters. She’s someone other teams have to plan for,” said Lynch. “We have a lot of juniors without much varsity playing time. We are in a bit of a rebuilding phase, and they’ve really set the goal of making a name for themselves and the team in the Shoreline Conference.”
On Sept. 24, the Huskies hosted Hale-Ray and took a 3-0 home loss against the Noises.
Despite taking a tough loss, Coach Lynch believes that Morgan will bounce back from the defeat, as the team has already shown it can do this year.
“I think we were a bit intimidated by Hale-Ray. I think it’s good for us to compare what we did at North Branford and what we did against Hale-Ray and realize what it takes to play at a high level in the Shoreline. I think we made some discoveries about ourselves and we can target some things moving forward. We get to play them again which is great,” said Lynch. “One thing that is great about this team is they are proving their resiliency this year. This team can pick themselves up. I’m proud of the way they have done that so far this season.”