Highlanders Girls Volleyball Team is ready for tough competition in 2021

Victories in the great, fast-paced sport of volleyball aren’t simply given away; rather they are earned through hard work, team work and, yes, determination.

Determination happens to be a factor on the side of the West Milford High School girls volleyball program this year. The Highlanders are ready and willing to go up against the toughest competition on their schedule with the intention of achieving the best result possible that day.

Key returning varsity tested student athletes for the Highlanders this season include Caitlyn McNally (senior, libero, captain), Rory McCormick (senior, outside hitter, captain) and Sam Araujo (junior, outside hitter).

Among the promising newcomers to the varsity level for West Milford are Anna DelColliano (sophomore, setter), Ana Rivera (sophomore, defensive specialist) and Heidy Gutierrez (sophomore, defensive specialist).

Co-captains Caitlyn McNally and Rory McCormick

“Rory McCormick and Caitlyn McNally are the two leaders on the team this year,’’ West Milford Head Coach Alyssa Forget said. “They complement each other well because Caitlyn is the leader of the defense, while Rory is our offensive leader. Whenever something goes (wrong) they are the two that will pull the team together and get us back on track. They help with game-decision making on the court and will even help to make minor adjustments to our in game systems as needed.

“They are also two of our top performers on the court, so they lead by example. In our first week of competition this past week, Rory led the team in kills with 12, while Caitlyn added eight digs and nine aces to help us go 2-1 for the week with wins over Hawthorne Christian (2-0, 25-10, 25-9 game scores on March 16) and DePaul Catholic (2-0, 25, 25-13, 25-15 game scores on March 20).’’

The Big North Conference Independence Division

The Highlanders have a potentially busy schedule in the early part of April, beginning with a road match at Wayne Valley on the 1st. Two days later, West Milford is slated to return home to face DePaul Catholic. On April 6 and April 9, the Highlanders have road challenges scheduled at Fair Lawn and Lakeland, respectively. On April 10, they are scheduled to host Wayne Hills.

The Highlanders compete in the Big North Conference Independence Division along with Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley, Fair Lawn, Passaic Valley and Lakeland.