Head coach Scott Atkinson hopes the leadership of seniors Tori Britton and Emily Buckley and the talent of the underclassmen will lead to a successful 2017 season.
The 2017 Moorestown High School girls volleyball team may feature a number of new starters, but the expectations remain the same for the Quakers.
Moorestown is coming off a 23-win season, and even though the team lost a number of key starters to graduation, head coach Scott Atkinson has not tempered expectations for this year’s team.
“We fully expect that we will surpass last year’s team,” Atkinson said. “Last year’s team was a good team, so that’s a pretty high bar. But I think we have the girls to do it.”
A number of key players could make Moorestown a contender in 2017. Senior Tori Britton had a breakout season in 2016, registering 157 kills, 263 digs and 94 aces. Her efforts earned her a selection to the All-West Jersey Interscholastic Volleyball League first team.
Britton realizes she will have to step up as a leader and focal point for the Quakers this season.
“I would say my role has changed a little bit as more of a leader compared to last year, because there were so many seniors,” Britton said.
“I think it’s really important for me to become friends with all these girls,” she added. “The reason we were a good team last year was because of all the tight friendships.”
Atkinson said Britton is an extremely valuable player whom the younger girls will be able to lean on throughout the season.
“Having Tori Britton on the team is very helpful because she makes up for a lot of people’s sins,” Atkinson said.
Senior Emily Buckley is another player who will bring a lot of experience to the starting lineup. Buckley tallied 43 digs and 29 aces last year.
She said the older players have spent a lot of time working with the younger girls, realizing the younger players will be crucial to the team’s success this season and in years ahead.
“It’s really important to be patient and give them time to warm up,” Buckley said.
One younger player who could make an impact right away is freshman Maya Cohen. Atkinson said Cohen would likely be Moorestown’s libero, a player who plays along the back line and specializes in defense.
Atkinson said the coaching staff has been thrilled with Cohen’s work at various camps and in the preseason.
“Tori is the focus, I think Maya will be the spark plug of the team,” Atkinson said. “She really came to use with every little experience. But with her personality, we had to try her.”
Cohen realizes she will have a lot of responsibility stepping into the starting lineup immediately, but she is also excited for the opportunity presented to her.
“I just come in with a positive attitude,” Cohen said. “If I happen to have a rough day, I just have to keep pushing through.”
Along with the new faces in the starting lineup, Moorestown will make a number of strategic changes this year. The Quakers have spent much of the preseason working on serving, and Atkinson expects his team to be more aggressive than in years past.
“We’re going after teams,” he said. “We’re walking up to the line and we’re going to look to ace you every time. That’s an attitude change.”
Despite all of the changes this season, the players are looking forward to trying to top what last year’s team achieved. After Moorestown’s season ended with a loss to Roxbury High School in the second round of the NJSIAA Group III playoffs last year, the Quakers hope they can string together a deeper playoff run in 2017.
“I expect everyone to rise to the occasion and work together as a team,” Buckley said.
UPDATE: The Quakers stormed out to a fast start in 2017, winning their first seven matches of the season. Moorestown’s win streak was snapped on Thursday with a loss to Northern Burlington.
