The Lady Dolphins of the 2016 WY Volleyball Team are splashing into success! Coming fresh off a conference and city championship (both won by defeating Jones College Prep) the Dolphins are now preparing for state. The WY Dolphins volleyball team went undefeated in conference play, dominated the city playoffs, and has not lost to another CPS team this year. Now 15-2 with the only two losses coming from non-conference teams St.Ignatius and Loyola Academy, the Dolphins feel pretty satisfied about how the season has been going so far and heading into these state playoffs. Here are a few words about how some of the varsity members of the 2016 City Championship WY Volleyball Team feel about the state playoffs.

“Personally I feel that we are ready to compete for state. We know we have our work cut out but we’ve been working toward this our entire season ” –Aszja Brown ’18 

“We feel confident & ready going into the state playoffs. We have a challenging road but feel prepared & ready for a challenge” –Zanea Spencer ’19

After the Dolphins defended and captured their City Championship last week against Jones College Prep in what ended up being an epic game, I got the chance to catch up with  three members of the team. Two of them being seniors and both Division-1 commits, I asked why they chose the schools they did for volleyball after high school. Here’s what they had to say.

“When I was going through my college process, a big factor for me wasn’t only how good the volleyball team was, but also how good the school was academically. Northwestern is one of the best academic universities in the nation. Athletic wise, the is one of the most competitive conferences there are and it contains some of the top volleyball programs as well. That combination was ideal for me. Visiting that campus and meeting the coaches and all the players made me fall in love with the school and that’s when I decided that Northwestern was a perfect fit for me” – Danyelle Williams ‘17 (Northwestern Commit).

“I chose UIC because the coaches have an incredible vibe, the campus is beautiful and so much more than it seems and it’s home so i can still have the support from my family” – Vivica Price-Spraggins ’17 (UIC Commit

The third player I had the opportunity to chat with was captain Brooklyn Elaine Irvin ‘18. Next season she will have the opportunity to complete a very rare feat by any high school athlete, 4 City Championships in a row! I asked her, “Is a 4-peat City Championship an attainable goal?”

“A 4peat for me is definitely an attainable goal because we have a lot of returning players coming back as well as younger players coming up from JV that will be able to help me get the job done. Also we have a ton of time before City Playoffs come around again, so a lot of improvement will be made within the team so we’ll definitely be in a position to win again.” –Brooklyn Elaine Irvin ’18

A captain in her junior year and now with 3 City Championships under her belt, Brooklyn Elaine Irvin will be headed into her senior season a leader, veteran, and a bona fide winner with one thing on her mind that isn’t new, winning.

After all the mayhem and hype from the Dolphins winning their latest City Championship, I sat down with Northwestern Commit and senior captain Alana Walker ‘17 to talk about her and the team.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge this season?

A: “The biggest challenge this season has probably been keeping the team together because volleyball’s main problem is if the team is disconnected or doesn’t have team unity then you’re not going to
win or be successfully.  So far we have done a lot of team bonding and a lot of things to make the team closer as a whole, which is where I think most of our success has came from.

Q: Is State a realistic goal for this 2016 team?

A: “State’s definitely a realistic goal, seeding came out and we know who we’re expected to play. Teams are very beatable and we are expected to at least make it to Super-Sectionals”

Q: Why Northwestern?

A: “I committed to play at Northwestern because I wanted to play in the Big Ten, which is the best conference for volleyball. Also Northwestern is giving me the opportunity to play as a freshman. I thought that was a big deciding factor for me, so that’s very exciting. Also Northwestern is great academically. So it’s a win-win in both situations.”

Q: One thing you’re going to miss about this team?

A: “I’m probably going to miss being so close to my teammates, because I think this is the closest thing I’ve been on. Especially between all grades and all levels, so I’m probably going to miss the girls the most.”

Q: Was adjusting to the philosophies of a new head coach tough?

A: “Yea it was tough at first. Especially having the same coach 2 years for me. But I think change was good and that also sparked some success; having different strategies, different views, and combining strategies as well.”

Q: Do you think the program will continue to be successful after the lost of 3 D1 seniors?

A: “I definitely think that the program will continue to be successful. Especially because, there’s a lot of competition on the team. As seniors we push the younger kids to really step up to the plate and really compete with us which is what I think makes us so successful.”

From the looks and sounds of it, it seems as if the Lady Dolphins volleyball team has more success coming their way this year and for many years to come. Be sure to continue to follow and support the Dolphins and wish them best of luck on their road to State.