On August 28, 2024, girls varsity volleyball went up against the Patriots in their first home game of the season.
The game between the two teams was very competitive, with there being five sets instead of the usual three. Forge won the second, fourth, and last set of the game.
The first set was very close with the score of 22-25, however the team never gave up and was willing to work through the tension.
Senior Captain Kadie Cardozo (‘25) explains her thought process during the lows of the sets.
“I focused on my confidence and after I made a mistake, kind of shaking it off and letting that journey off a little bit, having a better mentality. And as a team, I think we really get it for being there for each other and not getting mad or showing, like, not really being supportive of each other,” Cardozo said.
After experiencing the first set, the team came in strong in the second set by winning with a score of 25-15 against the Patriots.
“They tried different shots, and it was hard to kind of adjust, but we figured that out after a while and Coach Amy was really good at directing us and coaching us as well and just adjusting to them,” Cardozo said.
However, the opposing team saw this, adjusted and stepped up the intensity in the third set with a score of roughly 20-25.
Senior Captain Grace Ostvig (‘25) had a lot of positive energy during the game, and was giving constant high fives to each girl as they scored, as well as words of encouragement every time the game got to its lows. Ostvig explains her mindset throughout the game.
“Honestly, my first priority was to talk to the team, uplift others, and communicate through strategies and everything surrounding that. I wasn’t focused on the losing part, I was more focusing on how we can work through it as a team,” Ostvig said.
After supporting and working hard to understand the other team’s tactics, the Eagles were unstoppable after the third set. The third senior captain, Emma Sofis (‘25) scored seven times in the fourth set.
“I went into the game thinking that we were going to be much better than the other team, but they were really good. They had really strong hitters and good shots and usually we sort of study the people on the team before we play them and what they’re good at, then practice off of that, but we had no background for this team,” Sofis said.
