Fall is coming to a close, so let’s take a look at how our Blazer fall sports did. This article includes interviews from the varsity captains of your favorite NDP fall sports and how they felt about NDP’s 2022 fall sports season. 

Volleyball: 

This 2022 fall season, Jillian Ames and Reese Wendorf were the captains of the NDP varsity volleyball team. According to Reese, one of the highs of the season was hosting the NDP Invitational and one of the lows was not winning most of their conference games. Jillian believes that one of the highs was meeting the new coaches and one of the lows was not winning most of the games. Nevertheless, the effort, drive, and persistence of the team were there, and they both have high hopes for the volleyball program next year. Reese wished that she could have changed her reactions to losing during a game but she has been working on it and is seeing improvements! Jillian wished that she could’ve changed how the team ‘finished’ games and the way that the team would lose confidence. Reese believes that her best game was against St. Paul’s School for Girls on October 13 when they defeated St. Paul’s 4-1 while Jillian believes that her best game was the game against Maryvale where Varsity lost 3-1. She believes that even though the team lost, they still felt happy with how they had played. Jillian is hopeful for the volleyball team next season due to the other girls who are going to be used to the program, and Reese believes that the new coaching staff this year is the perfect new start to the program alongside the potential that JV has. In conclusion, both captains are proud of the past season, and they will never forget, nor regret, playing on the NDP volleyball team. 

Cross Country: 

This 2022 fall season, Summer Nelson and Claire McGarvey were the captains of the NDP cross country team. According to Claire, one of the highs of the season was the team bonding that happened during their annual trip to Camp Thompson where they were without cell reception for two days. Summer believes that the team bonding and coming in second place overall were definitively two highs of the past season. Claire believes that one of the lows was the sudden coaching change, but the entire team put their mixed emotions aside and supported each other. Summer thinks that there were not many lows but that she definitively would like to see NDP beat MCD next year. Claire thinks that there is nothing that the team could have done better. She wanted to have the best senior season possible and cross country gave her the experience she wanted. Summer wishes that she could have redone a meet where she missed the second loop but she believes that there is nothing that the team needs to change or get better at. Summer believes that her best meet was the meet right after the AA dance where she had her best overall time, while Claire believes that the best meet was the Barnhart Invitation, which was the first meet of the season. Both girls believe that the underclassmen have a lot of growth potential and the juniors will serve as amazing role models. In conclusion, both girls are proud of the past season with the team’s attitude, work ethic, and encouragement. 

Field Hockey: 

This 2022 fall season, Lily O’Reilly and Charlotte Stromberg were the varsity captains for the field hockey team. According to Charlotte, she believes that one of the highs of the season was winning and bonding with the team, while one of the lows was how time-consuming field hockey was. Lily believes that one of the highs was the ten-game winning streak that the team held, and one of the lows was their game against Spalding when they lost for the first time. Lily wishes that she had savored the moments with her team more while Charlotte believes that there was nothing that needed to be changed. Charlotte believes that the field hockey team’s best game was their game against Spalding due to the team never giving up. Lily thinks that the team’s best game was their game against Northern High School where two newcomers scored their first goals. Both girls are hopeful for the field hockey team next season and they are incredibly proud of how the team always worked as hard as possible and never gave up. 

Soccer: 

This 2022 fall season, Mary Sommer, Natalie O’Brocki, and Katie Glagola were the varsity soccer captains. Mary Sommers believes that the lows of the season were the losses where the soccer team would lose without earning a single point. However, the disappointment of losing was forgotten when the team bonded and had fun. Mary believes that the team chemistry and emphasis on being a family led to their success in the preseason and the beginning of the season. Even when the team suffered injuries, they never gave up. Mary wishes that she could’ve incorporated more team-building activities but due to everyone being very busy outside of school, there weren’t many chances for the team to get together. According to Mary, one of their best games was the game against Severn under the new lights on Love Field. The student section was pumped and brought a lot of energy to the game. The soccer team walked off the field with a 3-0 win and the confidence they needed heading into the season. Mary is very hopeful for the team next year. She believes that the team will be led by some extremely strong seniors and juniors. The freshman class was an amazing addition to the team and the team chemistry will carry over to the next year. She is very proud of how the team has fought and never gave up and can’t wait to see what the soccer team will bring to the table next year. 

All the teams did amazing this season, and everyone is very excited to see the sports for the rest of the year and return to their fall sport in 2023!