A preview into the upcoming season for the new and improved girls’ volleyball team.
After an underperforming season, the Deerfield Beach High School girls’ volleyball team is looking to bounce back better than ever. The Bucks, led by head coach Charles Hayes, have been intensely training all summer to prepare for the 2022-2023 season. Hayes expects a successful season out of this talented girls’ team.
“I expect the girls will fight hard in every game and give 110% in every match. It will absolutely be a better season than last year,” coach Hayes said.
Senior setter and team captain Melissa Labadessa is entering her second year on the Bucks volleyball team. With a new season beginning, Labadessa is ecstatic for this upcoming season and sets her sights on getting revenge on schools such as Coral Springs High and Northeast High.
“I love my teammates, and I feel like we have a better team than last year,” Labadessa said. “We have better team chemistry, and the overall morale of the team is great.”
At every practice, the team focuses on a skill to work on. The most important skills in volleyball are serve receiving and serving. Other areas that the team works on are hitting, passing, and their position on the court in different situations. Now, the Bucks need to put all this together to be the best team that they can be.
“I think we’ll do good. Our serving, hitting, and setting will take Deerfield to the next level,” sophomore outside hitter Mari Nelson said.
With there being a couple of seniors on the team, Deerfield is always looking to build the best program it can, and that starts with young talent. Freshman outside hitter Dylann Baxter has impressed the coaches in the offseason. Baxter, the only freshman on varsity, will make a notable impact on Deerfield for years to come.
“It’s really exciting and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow from my peers,” Baxter said.
Last year, the Bucks struck a record of 6-8. They started the season on a rough, four-game losing streak and found life after sweeping Piper High. Deerfield took Northeast High to five sets, but unfortunately, the Bucks fell short to the Hurricanes. After wins against Taravella, Plantation, Stranahan, Hallandale, and Miramar High, they faced the Stoneman Douglas Eagles in the first round of the District Playoffs. Stoneman Douglas got the best of the Bucks and ended Deerfield’s season. They look to extend their playoff run this year.
“We trained for hours at a time and worked on our fundamentals over the summer,” sophomore libero Katie Hayes said. “That should transfer over into our season, and we should go deeper into the playoffs than we did last year.”
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