Apponequet and Middleboro High School varsity volleyball teams face-off with fresh rosters and new spirit
Sachems player Grace Lynch jumps to block a shot from the Lakers during a varsity volleyball game at Middleboro High School on Thursday, Sept.11. Photos by Sam Tucker
Apponequet Lakers Head Coach Megan Giammolvo laughs with the team after a timeout.
Middelboro Sachems Head Coach Alicia Laine looks on during the third set of the match.
The Sachems put up a defense to a Lakers spike. Both teams have many young players on their rosters this season.
The Lakers attempt to defend against the Sachems. Lakers Head Coach Megan Giammolvo said during early season, the team is focusing on working as a unit and communicating during every play. 
A Lakers player sets the ball for a team mate.
Players jump high in the air to get their hands on the ball.
After the game Thursday night, the Lakers stand at 1 win and 3 losses, and the Sachems’ record remains at 0 wins and 4 losses.
Sachems player Grace Lynch jumps to block a shot from the Lakers during a varsity volleyball game at Middleboro High School on Thursday, Sept.11. Photos by Sam Tucker
Apponequet Lakers Head Coach Megan Giammolvo laughs with the team after a timeout.
Middelboro Sachems Head Coach Alicia Laine looks on during the third set of the match.
The Sachems put up a defense to a Lakers spike. Both teams have many young players on their rosters this season.
The Lakers attempt to defend against the Sachems. Lakers Head Coach Megan Giammolvo said during early season, the team is focusing on working as a unit and communicating during every play.
A Lakers player sets the ball for a team mate.
Players jump high in the air to get their hands on the ball.
After the game Thursday night, the Lakers stand at 1 win and 3 losses, and the Sachems’ record remains at 0 wins and 4 losses.
The Apponequet Lakers varsity volleyball team took the win over the Middleboro Sachems in a 3-1 match, on Thursday, Sept. 11, marking the fourth game of the season for both teams.
Head coaches Megan Giammolvo and Alicia Laine spoke to the Nemasket Week on their squad’s early-season feelings, and shared what is on the horizon for their new rosters.
The coaches said both teams have a fresh lineup with younger players this season. As the season moves forward, the teams are working to get new players adjusted and integrated into the squads.
Apponequet Regional High School
Q: In the early weeks of the season, what is the team focusing on at practice?
Giammolvo: Communication and working as a team.
Q: Are there any big takeaways from the games this season, including tonight?
Giammolvo: I think we’re getting stronger, becoming a team and communicating more.
Q: What do you hope the team will achieve this season?
Giammolvo: We hope to just get better everyday and make those daily improvements.
Q: What are your strategies in achieving these goals for the team?
Giammolvo: Team bonding activities, and really focusing on the positives. Work on our weaknesses, and really start to strengthen our strong points.
Q: What is unique about the squad this year?
Giammolvo: We're a very young team, so putting all the different personalities and abilities together and forming that team unity is pretty unique this year. I usually have about seven seniors, and this year I only have four. Only one of them is a returning player, so it's a very young team. We’re trying to get them all on the same page and really bond with each other.
Middleboro High School
Q: In the early weeks of the season, what is the team focusing on at practice?
Laine: We are so much further ahead of where we finished off last year. So, the big focus is taking some of our younger players and really helping them grow into a varsity-level player.
Q: Are there any big takeaways from the games this season, including tonight?
Laine: They really just need to work within their systems. We have systems in place, and when we use them they work, and when we don't use them — they don't. It's about having the discipline to stick with the system.
Q: What do you hope the team will achieve this season?
Laine: I hope to beat last year's record of one win and 19 losses. So it's a low goal, but I would like to see a close-to-half record — like a five and five or eight and eight.
Q: What are your strategies in achieving these goals for the team?
Laine: We've had a lot of instability in the program as of late, with new coach after new coach. There’s been a lot of change. This is my second year with the varsity team, so moving forward the goal is to make sure that the junior varsity team is working to become a good varsity team. The teams now practice together, which we didn't do last year. With the varsity team, it's really just using our practice minutes to create muscle memory.
Q: What is unique about the squad this year?
Laine: I think the freshness of the team. A lot of them are not returning varsity players. I didn't have a lot of returning seniors this year. So, I think that is a little unique compared to some of the other schools we face. Other than that, they're just great kids. We're not having difficulties with in-fighting, everyone wants to get better. I have players that are actually begging for longer practices.
To find team schedules, visit the Middleboro and Apponequet Regional High School calendars on the Arbiter website.
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