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UTICA — One thing has been a constant for Utica freshman volleyball since Melissa Rissman took over the head coaching job in 2012: success.
In a three-year span from 2015 to 2017, Utica’s freshman team earned three straight undefeated seasons including the school’s first-ever first-place finish in the Vel Tournament in 2016.
Now, the 2022-23 Utica freshman team is making a mark of its own, going 9-1 during the regular season and earning a runner-up finish in the Vel Tournament this year.
“They had really good athleticism; that’s No. 1,” Rissman said. “They’re really good athletes all-around, and not just in volleyball — with basketball and softball. I think they had really good leadership on the court, I think they respected one another, and they just had that can-do attitude that they were going to do it and nobody was going to tell them otherwise.”
Freshman sports tend to serve as an introduction for team chemistry before players reach the varsity level, but Utica, which draws players from Eppler, Shelby and Jeannette junior high schools, tends to establish a team atmosphere early.
Rissman said the young players’ understanding of the team culture has been a key factor in the program’s success.
“We just really focus on getting to know each other on and off the court, because they come from different schools, and we just really try to create a sense of team pride,” Rissman said.
Utica will look to continue its success next season but without Rissman at the head of the coaching staff.
Rissman will be taking over the junior varsity squad alongside some of her soon-to-be sophomore talent from her impressive freshman team.
“If I get the majority of them that I had as freshmen, then we’re going to have another great season,” Rissman said.
The 2022-2023 Utica Freshman Team:
Avery Lewis, Violet Smith, Ava Brunning, Rachel Durecki, Madeline Peraino, Emily Adams, Olivia Itoney, Ava Vanwambeke, Arianna Caravona, Alexsandra Gjokaj, Alexis McMartin, Rachel Rettell.
