Greg Levinsky
In the midst of its best season in recent memory, the Belmont High School girls’ volleyball program found itself at an inflection point.
Up 2-0 on Burlington in a critical Middlesex League match, members of the team expected to cruise to an easy three-set sweep. Instead, the Marauders suddenly found themselves tied and headed to a decisive fifth set.
Senior captain Bella Radojevic admitted the team got ahead of themselves a bit, but they rallied together for a dominant 15-2 final stanza.
Belmont’s win over Burlington earned the team its first-ever Middlesex League title, and demonstrated their ability to come together when it matters most.
“One thing we like to say is one point at a time because we can’t look to the future,” Radojevic said. “In the third set we were looking toward winning in three but that wasn’t the case, we always have to focus on the present.
“It was destruction in the fifth set. The way we came together was amazing.”
Winners of ten straight games, the Marauders (17-2 overall, 15-1 Middlesex League) enter their MIAA Division 1 tournament opening round match at home against Lincoln-Sudbury tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. The team has its sights set on a long tournament run after bowing out in the opening round in each of the last two seasons.
Ranked No. 9 in the most recent MIAA Division 1 Power Rankings, Belmont appears poised to receive a significantly higher seed than last year’s No. 28. Last year’s season ended at the hands of eventual State Semi-Finalist Barnstable, but set a foundation to build on for this fall.
Coach Jen Couture called this team “the most skilled” she’s had in her 13 years at the helm. Of Belmont’s 12 most impactful players, eight played important roles on last year’s team.
Couture said that the team was able to run plays in their first match that they’d usually not be ready to try out until midway through the season, crediting the chemistry the team developed last year and during offseason training. Overall, Belmont finished the regular season a collective 57-16 in sets.
“We knew coming in that we had a lot of talented players, but I think the way that we bonded has just been perfect,” Radojevic said. “I feel like every position has a strong player and we can always count on each other.”
The Marauders are led by five seniors: Radojevic; middle hitters Sonya Ivkovic, Eva Grant and Sydney Boulanger; and outside hitter Reese Campbell. Radojevic and Grant serve as Belmont’s captains.
“They give us structure, stabilizing everyone on the court,” sophomore setter Sophia Qin said. “As seniors they have more experience and lead us.”
Alongside the talented senior quintet, juniors Gabrielle Hashioka (libero) Wenxi Wang (outside hitter), sophomores Qin, Wuyee Ke (outside hitter), Amy Saukkonen (outside/right side hitter) and freshman right-side hitter Katia Polina all contribute.
Couture prepares the Belmont players to come together in times of adversity, even if they come rarely. It’s a key tenet of a flourishing program that routinely fields full first team, junior varsity and varsity rosters. Couture said that she and assistant coach Sam Mosley try to empower the Marauders to go for the big shots — aces and kills — but also trust the players to make adjustments when said shots go awry, instead winning points by letting their opponents make mistakes.
“I think independence in volleyball is very good, and we have a coach to guide us,” Radojevic said, who’s played four years on the team as an outside hitter. “But more importantly, if you have the trust and reliance on each other, that’s what makes us most successful.”
