Their time to shine
BERWICK — As Berwick watched Western Wayne win the District 2-4 girls volleyball championship on the Bulldogs’ court last fall, they couldn’t shake the feeling that their season ended too soon.
It wasn’t a feeling of disappointment, though, as the Bulldogs fell shy of the program’s first title, 3-2. Rather, it was a headstrong feeling — that they’ll come back better than ever this year.
The Bulldogs have reached such expectations, and possibly even exceeded them.
They enter today’s PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal match against District 3 champion York Suburban with an unblemished record of 16-0. Along the way, they’ve added the program’s first Wyoming Valley Conference title. Nothing, though, was sweeter than getting their hands on the district championship trophy — on their home court nonetheless — after proving they can backup the No. 1 seeding this time around. They have yet to drop a set in the postseason, winning 3-0 over Shamokin, Crestwood and Athens.
“We pushed ourselves harder after that loss,” Morgan Nevel said. “We were really close, just two points away in the third set, from winning. Losing the district title like that definitely put a fire under our butts to win this year.”
Instead of hanging their heads, the girls got right back to work, looking to improve individually and collectively. That improvement came in many locations and conditions ranging from hardwood floors to grassy lots and school grounds to teammates’ houses.
Many of them teamed up to play club volleyball over the winter and saw some improvement. That too didn’t end how they’d like, but not by their own doing — the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on pause.
Even that couldn’t break the camaraderie this year’s team was starting to build. Once restrictions started lifting, they continued to take initiative.
“We worked even harder, we practiced more and even got together away from the gym and practiced by ourselves to get to where we are,” Glorimar Guzman said. “We did a lot of team bonding and this team chemistry is impeccable to me. We’re a family.”
Coach Sarah Warner said that no matter what obstacles were thrown the girls way, she never saw their spirits diminish. Like every other fall sports team in the state, they had no idea if they’d even get to play this season until a decision was made in late August — but they didn’t complain about having to practice in odd circumstances at the start of the year.
“They really made use of the limited time that we had,” she said. “You could see anger in their eyes, you can see a need for redemption, but there wasn’t a moment they hung their heads.”
She remembers fondly of the team essentially having to go through heat conditioning, practicing at the high school’s old track. They initially weren’t allowed to do so inside due to the states’ social restrictions not allowing more than 25 people to a room. The time they spent playing outdoor volleyball had them ready for such circumstances.
The results speak for themselves. The Bulldogs have dropped five sets all season, with two matches, Crestwood and Delaware Valley, going the full five sets. Holy Redeemer won the other set.
Guzman, Nevel and Warner all agree that the win over Delaware Valley was the telling sign that this year was going to be different, going to be special, with Delaware Valley dominating in years past.
“We went into that match thinking, we’re going to get better, not so much win,” Guzman said. “After we won, we knew we could play well as a team. It was a turning point because we knew we could come together and win as a team.”
Warner credits that win, as well as the other 15, to the team playing as a unit on the court and no one girl assuming the leadership role.
Nevel, who sprained her ankle the night before the championship, recorded 31 assists against Athens. She had another 31 against Shamokin. Camille Pinterich, meanwhile, had 55 service points and 17 aces as Guzman notched 25 service points and 18 digs.
Cece Isenberg and Sarah Steeber have combined for 56 kills in the same time span.
“It’s a collective effort,” Warner said. “I think we have a lot of leaders on our team. Nobody really runs the show. They all collectively play their part and they hold themselves accountable. Therefore, they’re able to hold each other accountable.
“... I think Deserah (McMillan) and Glori(mar) have shown a lot of passion for this sport as seniors. They knew they wanted this more than ever, knowing this was going to be their last opportunity ever. I also think Morgan is a great vocal leader on the court and leads by example every day.”
All of that has led the Bulldogs to the promised land, a place they felt robbed of a season ago.
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