By Soven Berry ’15, Staff Writer

The extent of my volleyball knowledge begins — and ends –with Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Combine that with a few failed attempts in gym class to bump the ball over a (much too high) net and you will see that I am far from an expert (understatement of the term!) in the sport. That is why, when I see the Newark Academy Volleyball Team, I am amazed by the serves gracefully flying much higher than the net and girls seemingly jumping out of nowhere to spike the ball. Though I may not know much about volleyball, I can spot talent when I see it, and the Newark Academy Varsity Volleyball Team is a very talented bunch.

Anchored by seniors Jacqueline Acierno, Navya Maddali, Carly Manger and Grace McNeely the Volleyball team went 14-4 in their league and 16-7 overall. They earned wins against teams such as North 13th St. Tech, East Orange, Milburn, Malcolm X. Shabazz High School, Golda Och Academy and the then-undefeated Barringer High School.

But the Minutemen also had some heartbreaking losses. On October 28th, the team faced off against North 13th St. Tech, whom they had beaten earlier in the season. This time, though, fate would not be with them as they entered the game without Captain Carly Manger, who was sidelined with a dislocated shoulder. The team lacked the depth to overcome the injury and lost a game that would otherwise have been a “W” in the record book. The Minutemen also faced missteps in their losses to teams like Oak Knoll, Rutgers Prep and split their two game regular season series with Cedar Grove High School.

“The team had their struggles in some games, but we overcame them and finished strong” says Gracie McNeely ’12 of the season. That strong finish was shown on November 3 when the Minutemen had their last game against Golda Och. They came out strong and never lost steam. Though Golda Och tried for a comeback late in the match they fell short and Newark Academy ended the season on a high note.

“We had a great season and the program will see great improvement in the coming years,” says Carly Manger ’12 of the team. Manger, McNeely, and junior Eliza Huber-Weiss are actually responsible for the change of volleyball from being a club sport in middle school, to a full time, inter-school sport. The presence of these two senior leaders, who have been in the Newark Academy program since middle school, will be missed greatly. The improvement over the coming years that Manger talks about will most likely be forged by juniors Ahlia Bethea, Eliza Huber-Weiss, Nicole Jones and Brooke Trayer. Sophomores Rebecca Antwi, Julia Blanchard, Shivani Pandiri and Elizabeth Meijer will also have to step up in the coming years in order for the volleyball team to emulate the success they had this year.

When I got this assignment I was admittedly confused. Competitive volleyball was a sport with which I had limited experience. Yet, after watching, researching and writing about this wonderful game, I can confidently say that this was a season I won’t soon forget. While the team certainly had its share of lapses (including a few injuries late in the season that may have precluded a decent run in the state tournament), this group has definitely set the bar high for future volleyball squads. Congratulations again, on a tremendous season.