Get ready Nashoba fans, this season is heating up! Just days after nashoba Field Hockey makes history, so does Volleyball! In their game Wednesday night against Marlborough, Nashoba Volleyball wins three of four sets for the first time in history. Captain Abby Slater posts about the win on Facebook. She says, “Let it be known we have never taken more than one set from Marlborough. Today, we took the first, second and fourth sets. WAY TO GO BRING HOME A WIN NGV!”

The team had the right mindset going into the game and because of that mindset the varsity players worked effortlessly together as a unified team. Jaque Manyak and a few others had a major impact on the outcome of that game. She explains the turning points in each set, “Natalie Lindsay had great killer hits that game. I set her and as she hit them I could have sworn they sounded like bullet shots. Both Slater and Olivia Perkins had some great hits as well while players Clarissa Tucker and Theresa Clutier had perfect receives and bums to the setter.” Manyak was on fire the entire game and says that it was her best game yet.

Number 20 had a lot to prove to her coach and her teammates. Manyak served the majority of the game and with a position like that comes a lot of pressure. According to Manyak, this last game proved to have the most pressure on her as a server.

“We were in our fourth set  and the other team had 24 points. They needed 25 to win the game and we only had 18 points. If I messed up or missed my serve the other team would have won. I knew in my head my coach was doubting me and thought I would miss my serve like I did last year and lose the game for us. Knowing that coach didn’t believe in me made me want to prove I could play well and bring home the win.”

“I stared at the ball and and said confidence in my head. I threw it up and hit. The ball went over the net and the other team just looked at it and didn’t move… BAM ace! I’ll always remember that game.”

Slater shines light on what the goals for this game were and how the team will approach future games. “We came into this season with one big goal: a banner. Nashoba volleyball has always wanted to make a name for ourselves, and leave a legacy. This year, we have a much more competitive team that WANTS to win. Going into the Marlboro game, we had in our mind the idea of how we have never beaten them and never won more than one set against them. They were a tough opponent, and we knew that.”

“Being the underdogs of the season, no one expected much. But winning the Marlboro game put our name out there as a threat for the league champions. However, even though we beat them we as a team know we can’t be cocky. We must go in there ready to fight for all the games we play. Our energy is up, and it will stay up until we reach our goal.” Although the team have looked amazing to the crowd cheering them on, according to Slater, the team had a few drawbacks in the practices prior to going up against Marlborough.

“Well the night before that game we had a major problem that we needed to fix. Our serves and receives weren’t up to par that day, and we knew that facing an opponent like Marlborough, we would need all the serves and receives to be in and perfect. Two hours of practice later we had mastered our serves and we’re ready for a nights rest before the deciding game. EVERYONE was pumped already, even new players. The overall energy was enough to bring us to the win. NGV never gives up, even when the score is 19-24.”

This positive energy portrayed by all three captains is what kept the rest of the players motivated and determined to play their best and bring home a win, finally making Nashoba history and more importantly, finally making a name for Nashoba Volleyball. Slater beams, “I speak for all of our players when I say that we want to be known as a bonded, close knit team who takes any challenge head on. We saw this Marlborough game as a challenge to test our skill and show our worth.”