Vixens Prep for Big First Game

With their first game coming up, the Vixens, Stuyvesant’s girls’ varsity volleyball team, are practicing hard in preparation. Their first PSAL match on Tuesday, September 25, will be against their primary rival, Seward Park Campus, a team with which they have been equally matched in the past.

Last season, the Vixens lost their first game against Seward 2-0 and won their second 2-1. Their rivalry is evident in last year’s Manhattan A South/East division standings, with the Vixens winning the division with 11 wins and one loss (against Seward), while Seward finished just behind with a total of 10 wins and two losses. This first match will set the precedent for the rest of the season.

Last year, the Vixens were seeded second in the city, beating nearly every team they played. Even their losses barely phased them—having lost a league match against Seward Park Campus (2-0) and a scrimmage against Benjamin N. Cardozo HS (3-0) early in the season, the team made comebacks as the season progressed, eventually beating both teams 2-1 in rematches.

But while members of the team dominated on the court, there were internal issues over members of the team getting enough playing time. “There were countless times during the season that things got really terrible, where people would just leave practice in tears or bawl at tournaments. It was super emotionally tiring to be on that sort of team. And the reason why this was the case was because the whole time, the team had only been focused on winning, and there was a huge lack of communication when it came to dealing with our problems,” senior and co-captain Hanah Jun said.

Having lost more than a third of their team with last year’s graduating class, including the majority of starters, such as setter Shirley Liu (‘18), libero Kristina Kim (‘18), opposites Zilin Guo (‘18) and Rochelle Vayntrub (‘18), and outside hitters Ziqi Guo (‘18), Deborah Wei (‘18), and Jackie Xu (‘18), tryouts and preseason are critical in shaping the success of the season.

Luckily, the team will not be left without these positions filled. Many remaining players are filling the spots, including Jun who will step up as libero and sophomore Isabel Leka who will take over as setter. Other players are still feeling out where the team needs them most, and as the first big game day approaches, they will decide on their new roles.

However, to not put too much pressure on the team, senior co-captains Jun and Ally Archer have developed a more positive team philosophy. “Now, the team's main focus is not on winning, but to grow not only as players but as people, and to create a family that always supports each other and wants to see each other improve. We're all on the same team—we should be competing with other teams, not each other,” Jun said.

With cohesiveness as the Vixens’ number one priority, they are hoping to be prepared on game day after multiple scrimmages, including one on August 30 against Eleanor Roosevelt where they tied 1-1, another against Riverdale where they won in two sets, and one upcoming against Richmond Hill on September 20. “Overall, we played very well for our first match, and I'm excited to see how we improve,” Jun said.