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.