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11/13/2018 11:00 PMEmy Stakaj recently completed her high-school volleyball career by helping North Branford reach the Shoreline Conference Tournament for the first time in her four years with the program. It means a lot to Emy that the T-Birds qualified for Shorelines this fall, especially since she served as one of the team’s senior captains.
“It was really a special feeling,” says Emy. “It’s a special feeling because, as a sport, we haven’t been the most successful. So, me being on the team the year we finally make it to the Shorelines is really cool.”
Emy is part of a family that features a deep background on the volleyball court. Emy’s family comes from Albania, where her mother Mirela played and coached the sport. Emy’s roots gave her a head-start when it came to playing volleyball. She says she’s learned a great deal from practicing with her mom.
“My mom playing it back in Albania and really enjoying it made me want to play in middle school and high school,” Emy says. “I had a lot to learn, but she definitely helped me, which made me better before entering high school. Whenever I was having trouble, I’d practice with her, and that helped me a lot.”
Standing at 5-foot-7, Emy was one of North Branford’s taller athletes and played middle hitter for the T-Birds. Emy enjoys playing a position where she’s routinely in the right spot to get a block. Emy led the squad in blocks by recording 12 on the season.
“Being tall helps. For a majority of the season throughout my high-school career, we’d have a single blocker, so I was the one blocking hits coming to our side,” says Emy. “It’s tough to get one. It has a lot to do with timing, footwork, and approach to the net. Overall, it’s a tough thing to do, but once you get a block, it’s exhilarating, because I know the rest of my teammates behind me don’t have to push to get the ball.”
Aside from leading her team in blocks, Emy also led the Thunderbirds by recording 132 service points and 21 aces this year, in addition to contributing 28 kills and 20 digs. Emy had to adjust to the systems of three different head coaches during her tenure at North Branford. She feels the T-Birds are in great shape with current Head Coach Tori Ramada at the helm.
“As a player, every coach has their different style of coaching, whether it be different plays or skill sets they want to work on during practices. I think since everyone is a different person, they all have different views,” Emy says. “Learning to adapt to a new coach is hard, but I think Coach Ramada is definitely a positive impact on the future girls in future seasons. I think she’s going to do a good job.”
Ramada loved the attitude and energy that Emy brought to her squad. The first-year head coach says that she enjoyed working alongside Emy throughout the 2018 season.
“Emy is a great captain and asset to the team. She’s a team player with a lot of passion and always plays to the best of her ability, leaving everything on the court each game,” says Ramada. “She has this bright personality and always keeps the environment positive, especially when we need a laugh or two.”
Emy feels that holding a captain’s role provided a great opportunity for her at North Branford. Emy describes herself as a positive person, and she made sure that her teammates always had an optimistic mindset whenever they stepped on the floor.
“I liked how the girls could talk to me personally or on the court, because I like being a role model for everyone and being a positive impact on them,” Emy says. “Being a captain is more than just a single leadership. It has to do with the whole team. We bounce off each other with comments and opinions, and I think hearing what everyone is saying makes me a great team leader.”