Serving up memories! Notre Dame HS girls' volleyball squad wraps up historic season
- Rick Menning
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 minutes ago
By Rick Menning
WEST HAVEN, CT -- Back in early September at the Connecticut Sports Center in Woodbridge, Notre Dame High School's first-ever girls' volleyball team took the court with all types of emotions.
It wasn't only the first match of a new season; it was the dawn of new beginnings and the start of memories to last a lifetime.
Positioned alongside one another on the back line before every opening whistle throughout their fall campaign, the athletes in the dark green and white uniforms always put forth their best effort and produced one commendable performance after another.
The end result, which came with the concluding volley in late October, was a group of freshmen warriors who will have their names inscribed in the annals of Green Knights' sports history.
In the nearly eight decades of Notre Dame athletics, the 2025 volleyball squad will forever hold its rightful place as the trendsetters for those who will follow in their footsteps. They are the first all-girls team at ND to complete a season.
And what a season it was!
Head Coach Craig Brown instilled a work ethic and mindset that led to a highly competitive season where improvement was evidenced in each and every match.
With each serve, spike, dig and kill, the players from 'The School On The Hill' wore the NDWH uniforms with pride and purpose.
Venture into the unknown
What made their heartfelt endeavor all the more special was that the team was made up entirely of freshmen who for the most part had never before played volleyball.
And as was to be expected with any group of inexperienced athletes embarking on their high-school careers, there was an uphill climb associated with that newness.
"We started the year a little slow as we tried to pick up skills and gain an understanding while playing teams that have middle school teams that feed their programs," Brown said. "Around the time we hit mid-season, we flipped the switch."
That switch shone a light that radiated into four victories in five matches at the start of the season's second half of play.
"Getting that early season experience, training hard and keeping our heads up through the early season ... our team would show a tremendous amount of improvement as volleyball players," Brown pointed out.
For freshman setter Sofia Grasso, a lot of that improvement was a byproduct of the entire team continuing to refine its talents through conscientious work at practice.
Grasso, whose volleyball background includes playing at both the travel level and at Amity Middle School in her hometown of Orange, used her experience to help the newcomers to the sport.
"Everyone improved so much," Sofia said. "A lot of the girls were playing volleyball for the first time, and I was so happy to guide them as much as I could. We all became friends and bonded on and off the court."
Sofia's on-court assistance with basics like passing and serving became a core benefit as the team developed into quite the threat for opponents as highlighted by those four consecutive triumphs.
Actions of encouragement
With Brown's coaching leadership and Sofia's words of support through on-court situations, the Green Knights would rise to higher heights as September gave way to October.
"A lot of us didn't know how to play volleyball, and at times when we got a little down or nervous about something Coach Craig and Sofia would always pick us up," said freshman outside hitter Mary Sowitcky, who lives in West Haven and attended St. Mary's School.
That historic first win on the road in Newtown set the stage for not only further unification in chemistry and camaraderie but also in their mental outlook.
"(That winning effort) really lifted up our spirits and we brought back a good mindset," Mary said. "We wanted to put everything together and we wanted to focus, and we all had that feeling like 'we can do this!'"
Rising through the ranks
They certainly did, and with the drive and willpower that will most assuredly power them forward as they make the transition from freshman status to higher classifications in the near future.
"We have the team goal of being the first independent team to win a junior varsity and varsity match in the not-too-distant future," Brown said. "Our girls are really excited about the opportunities in front of us, and to see who will be joining us as we march forward in this new era of women's athletics at Notre Dame."
Lorelei Schunmann, a freshman who plays a key role opposite the setter in the rotation, couldn't have been more thrilled to be a part of the Green Knights' history-making squad.
"It was so exciting because we all felt like we were part of a legacy and being the first volleyball team at Notre Dame ever," said Lorelei, who resides in Wallingford and graduated from Holy Trinity School. "It was an unforgettable experience."
She and her Notre Dame teammates realized early on in the season that something very special was occurring and that their lives would forever be enriched.
"What we accomplished, and how much better everyone did as the season went on, was just incredible," Lorelei continued. "The friends we made, the bonds we created and the fun we had will never be forgotten."
A formula for success
The first step in the process of developing the girls' volleyball team at Notre Dame was getting it off the ground within a very limited time frame.
Despite not being named head coach until the latter part of the summer, Brown put a game plan in place and was subsequently greeted by 11 girls who were excited to play in the inaugural season.
"One of the biggest highlights not just for me, but for the school itself, was getting the girls volleyball program running this year," Brown said. "To be able to offer it at Notre Dame is obviously a great thing for the girls in attendance, and I really appreciate Notre Dame putting so much time and resources into helping this program get started."
Once the practice sessions got underway, it didn't take long for the girls to buy in. Their positive attitudes and willingness to learn paid off in big dividends.
"I think we all got really better at serve receives and being able to make good passes to the center," Lorelei noted. "At first, we could not pass the ball to target, but we worked a lot on that and it made us such a better team because we were able to have better hits and that led to more points."
Sofia took such great pride in the Green Knights' success that she created a little twirl-around dance move after every ace the girls achieved throughout the season.
"It's such a great bonding thing," Mary said. "It was Sofia's idea. We first pray and reflect, and then we do our quick little dance move which everyone loves including our parents and all those who support us in the stands."
Sofia said she and her teammates are so grateful for all the blessings they have received during their amazing, memorable and historic girls' volleyball season.
"We believed in ourselves and in what we could accomplish. We did really well and we won a lot of games," she concluded. "Our friendships and bonds are important and lasting, and we are excited for what next year will bring."
Notre Dame High School of West Haven
History-Making Girls' Volleyball Team!
2025 Green Knights' first-ever roster (in alphabetical order and primary position): Kayla Boyle (defensive specialist), Rosalyn Chambasis-Vallejo (libero), Jadyn Forget (outside hitter), Julianna Gomez (opposite), Sofia Grasso (setter), Madison Pinder (middle blocker), Genesis Rodriguez (defensive specialist) Lorelei Schunmann (opposite), Mariam Sheriff (middle blocker), Mary Sowitcky (outside hitter) and Allianna Wilson (middle blocker). The coach is Craig Brown and the athletic director is Jason Shea.