Sports Recap 9/16

School is back and so are sports! This is the first installment The Penguin Playbook, of a new Rookery online series that will catch you up on Penguin athletics every two weeks.

Boys soccer: 

The boys’ soccer team had a shaky start to their season but showed signs of being close to finding their form. The team started their season 1-4 and has dropped both of its in-conference games (against Roosevelt and Jackson-Reed, respectively). The team’s single win was a dominant victory, taking down The Avalon School 9-1, with Graham McMorris ('25) scoring a hat-trick. The Penguins also played a solid game against a heavily favored Jackson-Reed in a 4-1 loss on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Following the game, left wing Ereftu Patel ('25) said, “We played good. Honestly, if we played this way the other day, who knows what the score could’ve been against Roosevelt.”

The Penguins have had to deal with having only two seniors and a defense composed almost entirely of underclassmen. “Even though they haven’t been on the team very long, they’ve done very well stepping up,” said McMorris about the underclassmen on defense. Despite some early struggles, the team remains positive and hopeful for an upward trajectory. “I’m excited to see where this season takes us,” said Patel.

Ereftu Patel (‘25), one of just two seniors on the team, dribbles around a Jackson Reed defender in a match on September 11. (Credit: Theo Weller)

Girls soccer: 

This year’s girls’ soccer team has big shoes to fill, following a historic, DCIAA champion 2023 squad. So far, they’ve seemed up to the task, posting a 2-2 record against some tough opponents. The girls put up a good fight at a well-attended game against Jackson-Reed on Wednesday, Sept. 11. After going down 2-0 early, the Penguins tied it up at 2, thanks to a goal from Captain Nadia Lytle ('25), assisted by a quality through pass from Simone Meltzer ('27) in the 56th minute. Despite their effort, the Penguins ultimately lost 4-2. Lytle’s goal was just more of the usual for the striker, who has already recorded five goals this season. All signs point to the girls putting up another strong season. The team is headlined by its three captains: Lytle, University of Pennsylvania commit Kylie Emanuel ('25), and Franklin and Marshall College commit Eve Rebora ('25). They continue conference play this Wednesday against Bell Multicultural High School.

Nadia Lytle (‘25) receives a pass in a close match against Jackson Reed where she scored a goal that tied the match in the 56th minute. (Credit: Theo Weller)

Volleyball: 

The varsity volleyball team bounced back after losing to a tough Jackson-Reed squad in their first game of the year, winning all five games since, including two in-conference games. Arguably, the team’s best win came against Archbishop Carroll on Sept. 7. Carroll and Walls traded sets all day, forcing a winner-takes-all fifth set. The Penguins dominated the fifth set, winning 15-7 and sealing the victory. The team’s success has been powered by breakout performances from freshman Kate Parker. The middle hitter has already racked up an impressive 22 kills, the most by a single player in the DCIAA this season and the sixth most in D.C., according to MaxPreps. On top of that, she has the most total blocks in the DCIAA so far with five (MaxPreps). The team has also benefited from impressive performances by Natalie Broquard ('25), Taylor Brown ('26), and Asher Thorton ('25). 

Left-to-right: Kate Parker (‘28), Natalie Broquard (‘25), Taylor Brown (‘26), and Elle Ericsson-White (‘26) in the midst of a 2-0 victory against Roosevelt on September 12. (Credit: Niamh O’Donovan)