Volleyball Team, Off to a Strong Start, is Hungry for More

The volleyball team poses for a picture after winning the Model Secondary School for the Deaf Invitational Tournament. (via Sports Information Club)

The School Without Walls girls’ volleyball team began their season on Sept. 5 at Dunbar High School in a match against Jackson Reed High School. The team, composed of a JV and Varsity squad, is off to a strong start with varsity posting an impressive 14-2-1 record as of 9/30. 

The Penguins have been continually led to victory by some impressive individual performances, including those from the two freshmen on the varsity squad. Kate Parker (‘28) leads the DCIAA in kills (according to NCAA, a kill is awarded to a player any time an attack is unreturnable by the opposition), with 81 and Ellie Olesh (‘28) is fourth in the DCIAA in assists with 18. 

Senior captain Natalie Broquard has had an excellent season as well, leading the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) in serving aces with 62. Taylor Brown Jr. (‘26) has also put up impressive numbers, placing second in the DCIAA in kills with 50 and third in digs with 47.

As good as the individual players have been, the team really has had success all around this season. For example, a whopping six of the top ten players in the DCSAA this season in serving aces are Walls athletes. On top of that, the top three players in kills, serving aces, total blocks, and digs in the DCIAA this season are all Penguin athletes.

Annabel Holt (‘28), who plays for the JV squad, attributes the team’s success thus far to strong collaboration, mentorship, and communication among the group. “The upperclassmen on the team make the transition easier from middle school to high school, and they are also very experienced, so I can learn a lot from them,” she said. 

The more experienced players in question echoed Holt’s sentiments. Natalie Broquard stressed the importance of having good relationships between players, which has strengthened team chemistry. “We don’t just know each other as players, we know each other as people,” Broquard said. 

Despite their impressive record, the team is more focused on what they have yet to do this season: beat Jackson-Reed. The varsity team lost to the DCIAA defending champion Tigers 2-0 at the beginning of the season, but hope to get payback in the upcoming DCIAA championship.

Students can access the full volleyball schedule on MaxPreps to watch the team’s notable remaining matchups against Sidwell Friends, Maret, McKinley Tech, and others.

Footnote: all stats are via Maxpreps and as of 9/28