Coming off of a promising 4-1 record, the girls volleyball team is excited to see where their new team will take them.

The Mustangs have a new starting lineup from the previous year, consisting of only one returning senior. This year, Coach DiSilvio also introduced three sophomores to the mix. Despite being underclassmen, sophomores Eleanor Errico, Natalie Klancnik and Elise Kowalski have proven to be essential to the volleyball team.

“I think at the beginning of the season they were a little intimidated,” junior Macie Robison said. “But now they have become comfortable with us and… are really excelling at what they do.”

Although the sophomores have spent less time as Rolling Meadows volleyball players, what they lack in experience, they make up for in skill.

Senior Captain Maddie Sellergren has, similarly, been on the varsity team since sophomore year. She has been a key component of the team’s success. As an all-conference player, Sellergren gives the Mustangs an extra edge, making them a force to be reckoned with.

The girls have had a lot of positives in their tournaments. For their first one, they placed first in their pool on the opening day, and ended the tourney with a respectable fourth place. At the Lisle high school tournament last weekend, Meadows went 4-1 and placed second overall.

“We faced the top teams in the state, so that was difficult, but it was fun at the same time,” Robinson said regarding their tournament on Sep 2. “We beat palatine, which was the first time in a while, so that was really good.”

The team has only had one loss against another team in the MSL this season. They lost to Prospect in a very close match. The girls battled with barred teeth for the first game of the series, giving them an early lead over the Knights. Unfortunately though, the Knights pulled it together for the final two games and came out victorious.

“You just gotta put the losses to the side and focus on the wins,” Klancnik said.

Before each big game, they have pasta parties to ease any pre-game tensions and get everyone hyped up to win. They also have team sleepovers which helps them bond and become closer as a unit.

We have this thing we call the “it factor,” senior Madeleine Rebsamen said. “We never give up on each other and we keep each other accountable, but we’re not screaming at each other, and I think that helps us out a lot this year.”