A new banner hangs inside Notre Dame Academy’s gym, marking a milestone for a volleyball program that is only five years old.
Last fall, the Rebels went undefeated in league play to claim the Central Mass Athletic Conference C Division championship. Now, they are looking to build on that success.
Head coach Donna Coonan, who founded the program five years ago, said the team’s priorities this season include improving its play at the net and taking advantage of its versatile lineup.
“We’re playing a 6-2 offensive system again, because our setters are not just setters; they’re outside hitters and blockers as well,” Coonan said. “Also, with Coach Harris, we have been trying to develop the middle, and that is our goal this year, especially because we have a lefty in the middle, and that really helps. So that would be the goal, to really develop more net play.”
Assistant coach Crystal-Lee Harris said the Rebels have also strengthened their nonconference schedule to prepare for tougher competition.
“We really developed our non-conference games,” Harris said. “For example, our first game was against Wachusett, where one grade there has almost three times as many people as we have in the entire school, so we want to go out there; we want to play a higher level of competition, especially in our non-conference games. And they show up to play, so they’re doing a great job.”
The Rebels put that preparation to the test Monday, defeating Blackstone Valley Tech 3-1.
Throughout the match, the Rebels communicated consistently, calling for the ball, diving for digs to keep rallies alive and coming together after kills and blocks. Their energy remained high even as momentum shifted.
That chemistry has developed alongside the team’s experience. This year’s roster features a mix of older and younger players, giving the seniors an opportunity to share what they have learned.
Senior captain Harley Davis said the combination has created a team dynamic in which players learn from one another.
“We have a mix of younger and older girls, and I think there’s something that comes from the older girls, like veterans teaching younger girls what we’re going to leave behind,” Davis said. “It’s a really special dynamic in mixing them up, especially in games and learning from each other.”
For senior captain Addison Cutting, that mentorship has come full circle. As a seventh grader, she looked up to the team’s older players. Now, she has become one of its leaders.
“It means a lot to be a captain,” Cutting said. “I have been striving to be a captain ever since I was in seventh grade, because I had a lot of great role models I looked up to, seniors like Dana Woodward. I wanted to be just like her; she was a great captain.”
Cutting said that leadership and communication helped the Rebels recover after dropping the third set Monday and close out the match in the fourth.
“Communicating with one another is really important and making sure in the huddles that we’re giving good information and telling each other where the spots are open,” Cutting said. “I think as a team, we do really well, especially when we’re down. We fought back in the 3rd set today, and we didn’t win it, but I think we definitely came back in the 4th set strong.”
After last season’s undefeated league campaign, the Rebels are determined to maintain the standard they established.
Senior captain Leah Manzi said the team feels a responsibility to build on last year’s accomplishments.
“I feel like it’s just something we have to uphold, really, and make sure that we work as a team to do the best we can and strive for the best,” Manzi said.
For senior captain Dana Howling Wolf Keller, that means setting her sights on another championship.
“Definitely winning the championship; that is my biggest goal for the team,” Keller said. “It’s something that I have wanted to accomplish in my high school career, and I know it’s especially important for the other girls too.”
After watching the program develop over the past five years, Keller believes the Rebels have what it takes to reach that goal.
“This program has grown so much, so I know that we can do it,” Keller said. “It keeps getting better and better every year, and I know we can pull through if we continue to uplift, motivate, and push each other as we already do.”
