There’s no easy way to recover from a loss as devastating as the one the Johnston girls’ volleyball team suffered in the Division III championship match last season.
Leading 14-8 in the deciding fifth game against Central, needing just one more point to win the title, the Panthers started racking up the miscues and saw the Knights win eight consecutive points to win the game 16-14 and the title.
“I think about it every day,” said Johnston head coach Greta Lalli. “(Assistant Coach Ed) Saravo can’t even talk about it.”
But the best way to erase the demons from 2013 is to have a successful, championship-caliber 2014, and that’s the focus right now. With a number of important players back from last year’s team that was on the brink of a title, Johnston is aiming for the stars again.
The pieces are in place for another run, and – hopefully for the Panthers – a better finish.
“They have the fire in their eyes this year,” Lalli said. “So I’m hoping that they turn it on, that they get where they need to be. Where they deserve to be.”
The Panthers have had the best record in Division III each of the past two years, going 14-2 in 2012 before a 14-1 mark last year. Three players are gone from last season in Alex DiRaimo, Erin Tvenstrup and Victoria Parente, and they were all big parts of the team’s success. DiRaimo was first-team all-division last year and Tvenstrup was second-team.
They won’t be easy to replace, yet there is enough experience still on the roster and enough talent stepping into bigger roles that the lost production can be made up.
In all, 45 players came out for the team this year, forcing Lalli to make cuts for the first time in her 16 years at the helm.
“They were extremely important to the team, for sure,” Lalli said. “But we’ve really been working hard. You have to work with the young ones, because they’re going to be the seniors eventually and they’re going to be the big hitters. We definitely have some big hitters on our team now.”
Johnston’s top returning hitter is senior Dana Desmarais, who has been a fixture in the lineup the past two years and is now serving as a captain.
One of the better all-around players in Division III, Desmarais was a third-team all-division selection last year.
“She’s probably our hardest hitter,” Lalli said. “She’s a leader on the court, for sure. She’s loud, she just works really well. She’s an incredible player.”
Filling another hitting role is senior Francesca Gaudiana.
Also a captain, Gaudiana served as the team’s setter along with Tvenstrup last season. But with a lot of hitting potential thanks to a power lifting regimen that has seen her set numerous world records, she’ll slide into that slot this season.
“She’s just a powerhouse,” Lalli said. “She’s broken all these titles in power lifting. She can jump as high as anybody else. She’s extraordinarily powerful.”
Stepping into the setting role will be senior Alexa Tavares, along with junior Mia Quirini. Tavares is a veteran setter, while Quirini is trying the position for the first time but has already caught on quickly.
Senior Angela Gallucci is back in the fold too after playing a big role at the net last season.
One of the team’s taller players, she should be a solid asset both blocking and hitting.
“She’s probably my most improved,” Lalli said. “She went to the camp at Mount St. Charles and it has done wonders for her. She hits the ball hard, serving. She’s just a very confident athlete now.”
Senior Kristina DiMascio is another player who will be on the court regularly, and she’s also improved significantly from her junior year, especially in the serving and hitting department.
Providing depth is senior Katherine Rocha, who has been with the program for four seasons and is serving as a captain. Junior Kat Athaide is a back row player who is also in the mix.
“We’ve been working hard, like last year, with the upcoming girls,” Lalli said. “We have a pretty strong team as it stands right now. I think it’s going to be another successful season.”
The Panthers are eager to get underway. A new season means that last season is officially in the books, and another chance at a championship is there for the taking.
They were scheduled to open the season Wednesday at Juanita Sanchez, with results unavailable at press time. On Monday, they’ll host Hope at 4 p.m.
Johnston is looking at last year as a learning experience.
It’s looking for redemption.
“(Our expectations are) the highest,” Lalli said. “I think that losing the championship was devastating. But I think that they needed to go through that to see where we were to where we need to be. They had it in their hands, they were so close. And I think that put more of a drive in to them. I have the highest expectations to where they can be.”
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