The Varsity Girls Volleyball team has faced several hardships this season. Battling through injuries, tough stretches of road matches, and the constant pressure of high expectations from parents, coaches, and fellow Atoms, the girls have displayed a motivating performance of grit and determination.
Sitting at a record of 7-7 overall and 5-7 in district play, our girls have been put in positions to succeed. Head coach AJ Witkofsky has been encouraging his team but also the girls have been there for each other to lift one another up.
“Supporting each other, treating each other with respect, being a good teammate,” noted Senior Captain Sarah Murphy. “The leadership of the captains has helped us push through the challenges we face.”
Speaking of challenges, sports always come with the unfortunate injuries that players must overcome. Captain Madalyn Dixon was struck by the injury bug early in the season. A lingering knee injury kept her out of practices and games.
Despite this hardship, Dixon has kept her head high and still hopes to be medically cleared to return to the court, “My coaches and teammates have encouraged me and have been there for me during my knee injury,” said Dixon. Dixon is so proud of her teammates, most of whom are underclassmen, who have stepped up.
This season has been one of the most successful seasons for Annandale Volleyball in recent history. Although they are right below .500 in district play, overall, they have achieved an even record. However, they’re still unsatisfied. With a few games left in the season, the girls look to ride a win streak to a positive record for the first time in a multitude of years.
With the success that the girls have, most would assume they are senior heavy and have lots of experience. While that remains somewhat true, the Volleyball team has several key underclassmen who have contributed massively.
Kiley Foster is a freshman who has joined the team and made significant improvement since the beginning of the season. Part of this is due to, “Team bonding has affected our season by helping us gain camaraderie. This helps us all strive to win and help each other pick our heads up after a mistake,” expressed Foster.
Dig Pink is a program event where all levels of the Volleyball program come together to spread awareness for breast cancer. It is often the most attended volleyball game for the Atoms: this year was no different. Tons of families, teachers, and students, packed into the stands to watch the handshakes and our girls. Additionally, the bake sale outside the gym did very well raking in profit for the Side-Out Foundation which supports breast cancer awareness.
To the players, Dig Pink is such an important event for an abundance of reasons. “This game [Dig Pink] is all about community and thus us one of the reasons Dig Pink is our most attended game because it’s not about us, it’s about raising awareness,” stated Dixon. “Overall dig pink is another great way for our whole program to come together by setting up the gym, taking pictures, and watching the handshakes.”
The girls have no problem putting themselves aside to support something bigger than volleyball.
Selflessness is prevalent on the Volleyball team as, “We want to show support to help fight breast cancer. It is important to us that we are playing for something bigger than ourselves,” added Senior Captain Christine Mahoney.
This season is memorable to the seniors for a few very special reasons. Dig Pink, bus rides, practices, the gameday dumps on the team Instagram are just to name a few.
Everyone likes winning. One reason Sarah Murphy thinks this season is so memorable and different from previous season is, “Our season record is the best it’s been in almost 10 years!”
As the end of the season draws near, “This season is memorable because it’s my last one, so I’ve been trying to take in each moment,” stated Dixon in a down casted tone. “I’m going to miss everyone!” mentioned Mahoney.
Despite the inevitable of these impactful seniors, the program is in good hands. Freshman Miah Henderson has filled big shoes of former varsity players and hasn’t missed a beat. Her plans for the offseason include, “Going to clinics, camps, and playing club volleyball to improve my skills,” said Henderson. “I encourage returning players to work in the offseason, so we come back even stronger next season.”
Come support the Atoms as they travel east on I-495 to face the Edison Eagles Tuesday, October 22nd. Then they make the long trek out to battle the Mount Vernon Majors on Thursday, October 24th.
