Varsity Volleyball (VVB) capped off its undefeated Independent School League run with a 3-0 Nov. 8 win over Lawrence Academy, securing a 12-0 record and a fifth straight league title. Riding that momentum, the team entered the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class A playoffs as the No. 2 seed and swept Greenwich Academy and Choate Rosemary Hall before finishing as the tournament runner-up.
Head VVB Coach Jeff Emenaker said the team did not focus on winning.
“Rather than centering our goals around winning, we focused on finding the joy of playing volleyball. We emphasized the importance of improvement, consistency and enjoying the game. We want to enhance the level we train at, make it as high as possible and then we can count on that level. We try to do the things we’re good at the best we can, and the wins and losses will take care of themselves.”
During the regular season, VVB defeated Phillips Academy Exeter, 3-1, for the first time in school history.
“This was one of the closest teams I’ve coached here,” Coach Emenaker said. “The captains have done a great job. Our togetherness has enabled us to get through tough times on the court, and we’ve only gotten better as the year went on.”
A change for VVB this season was having a special team locker room for games.
“As captain this year, I’ve played a more supportive role,” VVB Co-Captain Annie Zhu ’26 said. “Before every game, I have led a team meeting in our locker room. This really helps bring the team together, takes off some stress and makes us more motivated to play.”
At the start of the season, the team faced uncertainty with five seniors graduating in June.
“While we might have lost some attacking power this season, we pulled through,” Annie said. “That shows just how cohesive and connected our team is.”
Setter Valor McGrath ’28 said the team gained confidence from its co-captains, Annie and Charlotte Garrity ’26.
“If I ever needed to talk to them about something, like maybe my confidence was down, or maybe I felt bad about the game, they’d always talk things through and reassure me.”
Outside hitter Gwen Watson ’28 said the team developed its grit over the course of the season.
“Something unique about us is that we’re scrappy. We just went for anything and didn’t let the ball drop. We all worked toward a common goal and had a common mindset, which definitely translated into our success on the court.”
