The Francis Lewis Girls’ JV Volleyball team was undefeated in the Fall 2024 season with a record of 6-0 during league games. The champions ended the season beating Benjamin N. Cardozo High School with a score of 2-0.  

Coach Ms. Barahona spoke about the team’s compatibility and how their chemistry progresses throughout the season.

“The most important thing I tell them is just to not get frustrated with themselves, and to not demand perfection from themselves or from each other,” Ms. Barahona explained. “I think they have an instinct to kind of want to correct each other, and I tell them you can’t control what other people do. You only want to control what you do. So, try to withhold that instinct to tell someone else what they’re doing wrong, and also just focus on ‘how can I be better’.” 

“A lot of it is also getting comfortable with yourself and how your body moves on the court. A lot of times there’s a lot of hesitation where they just move too slowly, and then the ball doesn’t go anywhere. So, they have to be less nervous on the court and not question themselves so much.”

Besides playing volleyball, she ensured proper connections between the members of the team so that they could have significant chemistry as a team.

“Every season the first few weeks are always kind of rough,” Ms. Barahona said. “I call it the ‘storming phase’ where everyone is kind of getting used to each other and getting to know each other, and they’re still very wary of each other.”

Ms. Barahona instills different strategies with her team to get them comfortable playing with each other. 

“I always insist on assigning partners,” Ms. Barahona said. “I don’t let them choose their own partners because then they always choose people they’re comfortable with. I’m really big on building that team chemistry and forcing them to get to know everyone on the team. So, I’ll say, okay, this week, these are your partners for the week, and then a new week is someone new, so that way they have a chance to really get to know each other. And I think it worked.”

Ms. Barahona used to play recreational volleyball herself, so she has an understanding of the difficult aspects of the sport. On October 25, the girls played against Townsend Harris High School. It was a tight victory of 2-1 for our school, but the players were confident and dedicated to winning.

“One of my starters hurt her ankle and couldn’t play, and I had watched Townsend play Bayside when they were here,” Ms. Barahona said. “They were a really good team, and they were just very spot on in their technique. They were very confident.”

“They won that game, and we were confident, but I knew the girls were tired,” she added.  “We had to travel there, so we were at a disadvantage, but they just really didn’t give up on themselves. They hustled and they worked really hard. They communicated well with each other, and we ended up winning the game in three sets. That was probably the highlight of our season, that game.”

Ms. Barahona explains that the girls had different qualities, but they all bonded through their commitment and love for the sport. All the girls were very understanding and appreciated receiving feedback leading to a successful season for the coach.

“This season, I think it was nice, they were just a really nice group of girls,” Ms. Barahona said. “You know, different years, there were different personalities, but this team seemed to genuinely appreciate the opportunity to be on the team. They seemed to really enjoy the sport, and they were very open to learning.”

The team’s positive attitude made coaching more rewarding for her, as the girls were receptive to feedback and able to apply it on the court. This willingness to be coached created a smooth, enjoyable experience for both the players and the coach.

“So, as a coach, it’s kind of nice to not have that resistance, to have girls that actually listen,” Ms. Barahona said.  “You know, if I give them advice, I can see them trying to take my advice and actually use it. It’s very gratifying to see students and athletes take what I say and actually put it into play on the court. They were very open to being coachable.”

Freshman Hannah Byun is a team member who was very committed and passionate about the sport and being on the team this season. 

“The JV Volleyball season taught me a lot,” Byun said. “I think we had an amazing season as we were able to improve throughout the whole thing.”

Byun also commented on the October 25th match against Townsend Harris, calling it her “favorite game” of the season. 

“I personally think that that was my favorite game because one of my amazing teammates got injured, and the coach put me on for the whole game,” Byun explained. “I was really proud of myself, and I didn’t know I was capable to do that, but overall, I’m so glad my coach trusted me and my teammates for not giving up on me.”

Byun stayed determined to the game despite the sudden inconvenience of one of the players. The team encountered multiple challenges throughout the season, but they were able to overcome them with passion and commitment.

“The first scrimmage, we went against Metro, and I feel like once we lost the first set, we gave up,” Byun exclaimed. “Looking back from it, our mindset changed a lot. When we went against Metro again, we never gave up, and we tried our hardest even though we kept losing.”

After experiencing their initial struggles, the team recognized the need for a shift in both attitude and approach. They understood that in order to improve, they had to put in extra effort, adjust their mindset, and focus on consistent practice together.

“To overcome this as a team, we adapted to playing on the court after school. We practiced frequently and worked with different people,” Byun added. 

Sophomore Zayna Chaudhry explained her enjoyment and involvement with the team this season.

“Overall, I feel like it was a great experience for me playing volleyball on the team because there’s not a lot of opportunities out there for free,” Chaudhry said. “Especially in New York City, a lot of it is really expensive, so being on the JV Volleyball team was a great opportunity to be on the team and being able to play and have volleyball skills.”

Chaudhry feels that her “performance was better than it has been for the past three years”. She goes on to talk about the connections and how the friendships were between the players.

“I feel like obviously being on a team with a bunch of girls, there’s going to be a lot of cliques and different friend groups,” Chaudhry stated. “I think overall our coach implemented a lot of team building because she wanted a solidified, friendly game. There wasn’t as much feuding as there had been last year, but this year some people didn’t like each other and there was side drama. For the most part, we tried not to let that interfere with volleyball, and we played probably the best we have been without letting drama interfere.”

The team had to share the gym with other sports such as JV Badminton, which complicated certain practices. They improvised by training earlier in the morning, which was complicated, but necessary. The team had to face many strong schools, such as Metropolitan Campus High School, and they needed the preparation.

“Metro High School [Metropolitan Campus]  played at the same level as us and they incorporated a lot of plays,” Chaudhry said. “They got their sets in, they got their skills, they were formulated and organized, but I think one of the main reasons why they were really good was because they’re kind of bullies.”

“I’m not gonna lie to you when I tell you this, but during serving time when you’re about to serve, it’s supposed to be quiet,” Chaudhry added. “What they do for everyone when the other team is serving is this anxiety clap.”

Even through difficult times such as this, the Girls JV Volleyball team remained focused and committed throughout the season. They overcame obstacles and assisted one another along the way.

“I gave it my all no matter what,” Byun said. “Although I initially lacked confidence at the beginning, my coach and teammates helped me understand that this was causing me to make a lot of mistakes. Since I got better with their assistance, I feel they were a huge help to me during the season.”