The sound of volleyballs echoing through the gym and the cheers from the audience mark the start of another exciting season at Concord Academy. CA’s Girls Volleyball teams are thrilled to kick off the 2025 season with Darren Emery and Andrea Yanes P'22 '24 '27 coaching the varsity team and Jeff Desjarlais leading the junior varsity (JV) team. Both teams are off to a strong start, but none of this would be possible without the teams’ dedication and the coaches’ guidance.
Athletes on the varsity team begin practice by running two flights of stairs, stretching, and passing balls to each other. From there, they progress to a variety of drills and scrimmages, developing skills and game play.
While practice sharpens skill, it is the collaboration and teamwork that truly defines the sport. “What attracted me was the team sport atmosphere of it. Volleyball is very team-oriented and literally relies on everybody playing,” shared co-captain May Zheng ’26. “I always love chatting with my teammates and improving with them together,” she added. Team bonding extends off the court as well, with activities such as the tie-dye tradition, where seniors create tie-dye shirts with their chapel dates on the back and wear them to each other’s chapels.
Meanwhile, the JV team emphasizes building developmental skills such as footwork, core strength, and mastering movements and rotations. Players focus on their positional discipline as well as teamwork and communication. “The drills are about getting them ready to use the skills they are going to use in a game, so it’s a lot of repetition,” explained coach Desjarlais. “But at the JV level, it’s not wins and losses, it's getting people interested in the game, being excited to play, and wanting to come back,” he continued.
The JV players also have many team bonding opportunities, such as going to Bedford Farms Ice Cream, and meeting before and after games to reflect and improve as a team. These activities not only strengthen individual skills but also foster teamwork and communication skills, essential on and off the court.
As the season progresses, we look forward to watching these athletes shine on the court, continue to support one another, demonstrate their dedication and teamwork, and bring CA spirit to the Eastern Independent League.