Monomoy makes history with first varsity girls volleyball team, but struggles early

On Sept. 7, the Monomoy girls volleyball varsity team stepped on the court for the first game of the season, and in program history.

After five years of being a club program, Monomoy finally made the transition into a varsity team for their volleyball program. There were 48 girls that came out to play on this team.

“It’s so amazing, honestly,” Monomoy senior outside hitter Emma Burnie said. “Myself and my fellow captains Ashley (Guzman) and Abby (Considine) have been wanting this since we were in eighth grade. To be a part of it, even when we’re seniors, it’s so amazing and I love all these girls for doing it with us because without them, it wouldn’t be possible.”

This is a huge milestone for Monomoy Athletics, but nobody ever said it would be easy.

After a 3-0 (25-7, 25-9, 25-5) loss to Cape Cod Tech on Tuesday, the Sharks are 0-3 to start the season. The other losses came from Carver and Atlantis Charter. The Sharks will compete in the Cape and Islands Lighthouse Division in their debut season.

“It’s a first-year program and I keep telling them that you created this and we’ve held our own against really good teams, which is the only way they are going to get better,” Monomoy head coach Stacy Yarnall said.

Sharks Stay Positive

In the loss to Cape Tech, the players always had high energy. Whether it was a point, serve, ace or block, the Sharks celebrated with each other, whether they were on the court or the sidelines.

“All these girls supporting each other and being together and doing it as a team, because if there was no chemistry, there would be nothing on that court,” Burnie said. “I think that we all have such a passion for the game and for each other. I think that’s the one thing that will 100% continue throughout the years too.”

Sophomore libero Meryn Boutin said many times the Sharks would just sit there watching the ball to see where it goes, but not moving to the spot where the ball falls. However, they always kept a smile on their faces despite errors and missed balls throughout the match.

“I think we can work on communicating a little bit more. Just being loud on the court, and on the sidelines. People always tell me I’m really loud on the sidelines,” Boutin said with one of those in-game smiles on her face.

There were times during the match where they did show the potential they could have later in the season. In the first set, they were down 11-0. After a timeout, they came back out and scored six straight points. They might not have won the set, but they haven't given up.

The Sharks may not have a win yet, but there are some good things to take away from the early part of the season.

Brand new team learning on its feet

“They are a great group of kids. From where we were in August in the preseason to where we are now, is probably a 150% increase in just knowing where they are (on the court), or even just blocking or serving. It’s been an improvement,” Yarnall said.

There are new players on the team with less experience and everyone is going through playing against varsity teams for the first time in their careers.

Although everybody could improve on their skills on offense and defense, Coach Yarnall and Burnie agreed on one other aspect that could make them better throughout the season.

“We need to work on getting confidence in ourselves, and figuring out how we work together well as a team. Once we bring that together, I think it will click,” Burnie said.

What’s next for Monomoy

The Sharks' next chance for their first win will be at home Friday against Nauset (0-5).

One of the good things going for Monomoy is that nobody has ever played against them.

“We haven’t played Monomoy before so I didn’t know what to expect,” Cape Tech head coach Rachel Crooker said.

The Sharks will look to use that to their advantage against the Warriors as one team will leave with their first win, while the other remains winless.

Cape Tech starts strong

After the sweep win over Monomoy, the Crusaders have won two straight and are 3-1 to start the season.

They are coming off of a season where they finished 13-5 and made the playoffs. They have carried that momentum over to this season.

“I feel like everyone on the team has worked hard all offseason,” senior defensive specialist Mikaela Venuti said. “During practice, we give it our best. We all have done things to improve outside of the season as well.”

Playing against the Sharks, the Crusaders did not allow them to reach double digit points in any of the sets.

“We have been working a lot on serve-receive, and defense, which is the most important thing,” Crooker said.

Next up, they have Old Colony on Friday, a team they swept twice last season.

They are playing well, but there is always room for improvement before their next game. For Coach Crooker, it’s communication.

“Hopefully we can find some things during practice and find the motivation to hone in on those skills,” Crooker said.

For Venuti and senior defensive specialist Adelyn Burlingame, they believe two things will be the difference maker in how far they can go this season.

“I think communication and trusting our teammates,” Burlingame said. “We have some new players on the team, and we haven’t quite trusted each other completely. Once we get that, it will really show more.”

Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: In its inaugural season, Monomoy girls volleyball struggles early