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After coming off a “season to remember” last year – finishing 15-2 and wearing the Middlesex League Liberty crown for the first time – the 2024 campaign for Belmont High Girls’ Volleyball was, at best, underwhelming. For a team that returned a slew of veterans from Head Coach Jennifer Couture’s championship squad, the Marauders stumbled out of the blocks going 4-6 for September.

One big reason for the slow start was the loss of graduating senior Bella Radojevic who was the team’s offensive stalwart who could be relied on to ring up points in bunches. While Couture’s defensive set up is solid, finding the right combination of a new “go to” outside hitter and a steady setter from a group of candidates who were not-as-tall as the players they were facing across the net proved frustrating.

“So we have (junior) Sadie Boaz as our middle [blocker] and she is amazing (18 attacks, nine kills and no errors against powerhouse Melrose), but we are not swimming in starting level middles and [an outside hitter]. We were switching players from other positions to see what could fit where,” said Couture.

“This year is one of those years where we have what we need to do well, but we’re still figuring some things out,” she said.

And soon after a loss to Burlington, all the pieces fell into place as the Marauders are coming off a 7-0 winning streak to up its record to 11-6. Stepping into the hitters role, junior Wuyee Ke (one of nine juniors on the 15 player roster) leads the team averaging 20.5 kills in the last two games with a rocket of a shot which has translated into 50 serving aces this season. Much of Ke’s success comes from the steady hand of returning setter junior Sophia Qin.

Belmont’s team foundation is built on the D. Junior Erin Dailey has become a presence as its defensive specialist who is the team’s top ranked server (7 aces while placing 26 of her 27 serves in play in a clutch performance against Concord-Carlisle which Belmont won 3-2) Add Boaz blocking skills – she is joined up front by sophomores Yekaterina Polina and Stella Ivkovic – with senior Gabrielle Hashioka who leads the team in digs and the Marauders’ defense with the best in the Middlesex League.

And they will need to be at their best during the final week of the regular season as the Marauders will be heading into a gauntlet of top teams beginning with a visit Tuesday, Oct 22, by 14-3 Lexington who defeated Belmont 3-2 in September. On Thursday, the opposition just gets tougher as league leaders Winchester, sporting a 15-2 record, welcomes the Marauders. The Red and Black also defeated Belmont, 3-2, when they met earlier. To finish the season, Belmont travels to a strong D-3 Wayland squad, (11-4) who handed the Marauders a 3-0 defeat at home.

At 11-6, Belmont will make the post season as they currently sit 26th in the MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings.