Varsity Volleyball: Season Outlook

St. Luke’s volleyball is excited to be back inside Carey Gymnasium this season, having played outside on a temporary home court last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The squad has been working extremely hard to prepare for the season, with Head Coach Garrett Minyard back for his fourth year. 

Minyard has been extremely pleased with how the group has started the year: “Our captains called this the best preseason ever. I think that may have to do with a renewed perspective, but we also did a great job. We jumped right into the action and played a lot of volleyball to make up for some lost ground. We focused a lot on doing things right and paying attention to details. We are seeing the rewards already. We are so excited to be back inside Carey Gymnasium. We were incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play at all last season, but our game is best played inside.”

Minyard believes this year’s captains, Karey Balkind ‘22, Catarina Hendricks ‘23, and Sam Stevelman ‘23, will do an outstanding job: “Our program has very high expectations for our captains. We expect them to be the first in the gym and last out every day. They are to be the embodiment of our program's core values, which are impeccable communication, maximum effort, constant respect, and a competitive nature. They know that they are not only the leaders of the varsity team but of the entire program. All of this, in addition to executing at a high level on the court, makes our captains the best in the league.”

Stevelman says the group is very focused and looking forward to a great fall: “I want to treat every practice like a game. If we concentrate on each play and communicate loudly with each other, we will be a force. The number one thing I love about this program is our energy, and we are working hard to prepare ourselves for any challenges and opponents that we will face during our season.”

The Storm knows King School will provide the biggest challenge in the FAA, but Minyard expects his group to have another successful season: “Our program has as much, if not more, talent than we've ever had. We are poised to have a huge season. Our goals are to get better every day and face opponents with confidence. The results will be great if we can do those two things.”

Minyard has seen enough in the first few weeks to know St. Luke’s can meet its goals: “Above all, we want the team to play the same way they play in practice: mindfully, confidently, and purposefully. We want our players to know they can capture any point, any set, and any match against any opponent. That confidence is invaluable, and it comes from training hard every single day.”

St. Luke’s opens up its season at home against Kennedy Catholic High School on Friday, September 17, before another home contest vs. Storm King School on Wednesday, September 22.