The team hit the most wins in program history, won its first sectional championship and reached runner-up in the state tournament finals.
Evesham Township Council used its meeting this week to honor this year’s Cherokee High School girls varsity volleyball team — a team that has the distinction of having most wins in program history.
The team assembled before an audience at the municipal complex as officials presented a proclamation commending the team’s achievement of having the most wins in program history at 28, in addition to the team winning the NJSIAA Group IV Sectional Championship and reaching the runner-up spot in the state tournament finals against Ridge High School.
Officials also praised the team for its work throughout the season, where the team also won the Williamstown Tournament Championship, the Spiketacular Championship, the Burlington County Championship, the Eastern Tournament Championship and the Olympic Conference American Division Championship.
With a team comprised of seven seniors, seven juniors and one sophomore, Cherokee coach Erika McGinley said she was excited to watch 14 of the 15 girls grow during these past few seasons, including those who came into the program as freshmen with no prior volleyball experience.
“Cherokee volleyball has been in the sectionals a few times, but we’ve never won sectionals, so for them as a group to do that, and for the school and the program — it’s huge,” McGinley said.
McGinley also praised the team for playing what she described as a “very competitive” Group IV schedule.
“It wasn’t like we were winning easy games,” McGinley said. “We were going out every day and doing our best to win. The team in general — they’re unique. They’re special and they’re one of a kind. This isn’t something that happens every year.”
Members of this year’s team were all also asked to sign their names to a volleyball the township could put on display for years to come.
“This ball will forever be a part of Evesham Township, so when you girls are my age, you can come back and bring your kids and you can show them,” Mayor Randy Brown said.
Team members include senior Alexis Bickett, senior Amber Conley, junior Leah Conover, junior Gwen Hangey, senior Allison Hussey, junior Makenzie Jackson, senior Kayleigh Kitchen, sophomore Anna Mansel, senior Erica Marchlowitz, junior Madison Patton, junior Gabrielle Quigg, senior Alaina Santracroce, senior Marlana Stipa, junior Brooke Strauss and junior Victoria Tagliaferro.
In addition to McGinley as head coach, assistant coaches are Anna Streicher and Maggie Reed.
In other news:
Representatives of Marlton’s Sanctuary development homeowner’s association presented a donation to the township to help purchase a portable radar speed sign for that section of town.
According to Evesham Township manager Tom Czerniecki, the township has several other signs elsewhere in town attached to posts along roadways where the signs blink at passing motorists to indicate the speed of passing vehicles to deter speeding.
“They’re very effective, but they’re not inexpensive, so we’ve been adding one or two a year and we’ve been moving them around because people get accustomed to them, so when they see them somewhere new, they pay more attention,” Czerniecki said.
Similarly, Czerniecki said this new sign would be moved around the Sanctuary development to areas that need the most attention.
“What an act of civic generosity for the neighborhood to get together and decide to give this,” Czerniecki said. “It’s very helpful and we appreciate it.”
