On November 23, the girls varsity volleyball team won the PSAL City Championships at Brooklyn College, defeating Hunter College High School in straight sets to secure the city title with a 2-0 victory.
THHS took control early, winning the first set with a score of 25-13 before closing out the match with a 25-10 victory in the second, where the Hawks recorded approximately eight consecutive aces.
The championship moment came with THHS leading in the final set. Sophomore Chloe Lee stepped back to serve and sealed the match with a clutch ace, scoring the final point and immediately igniting celebrations across the court.
A major key to their success was repeatedly putting their opponents on the defensive. “We kept getting a lot of points off our service,” said senior captain Nicole Saenz. “In the second set, we had about eight aces in a row. Once that happened, I knew the game was ours.”
On the attack, sophomore Maggie Gildea proved to be a constant threat. Scoring kills in both sets, her combination of using both strength and strategy helped shut down Hunter’s defenses.
“The adrenaline really showed with how much power she put into her swings,” Nicole said. “She was also incredibly smart, as she would tip the ball and place it perfectly, and that helped us get a lot of points.”
In moments of tension, players relied on communication and composure to steady themselves.
“Any time we made a mistake, we huddled up and reminded each other it was okay, and that we’d get the next point,” Nicole said. “We stayed calm and fixed what went wrong, instead of stressing.”
Junior captain Keira Legaspi said that the pressure was high, but they “[focused] on trusting each other and playing with energy from the first point to the last.”
The Hawks entered championship week believing they could finish the job. “Personally, I knew we had the championship in our hands, after the first set of semifinals, which was 25-13,” sophomore Faye Simons said. “I was completely confident, and I knew no team could break our momentum.”
Freshman Maraya Angelova also pointed to a surge late in the finals match: “The moment we went on a big run in the final quarter made me feel like we had it.”
However, the team’s playoff journey wasn’t without difficulty. Players highlighted a pivotal moment earlier in the semifinals against Metropolitan Campus when THHS opened the first set trailing 0-9.
“Our team struggled with starting at 100%,” Faye said. “At that moment, we really needed to turn up the intensity. The starters held each other accountable, and we were able to gain enough momentum to turn the game around.”
Senior captain Emma Wu said, “I signalled to Coach Castillo for a time out. I remember in the huddle telling the girls, ‘take a deep breath, relax. Pass the ball we’ve worked so hard for this moment.’”
For the seniors on the team, the championship win meant more than a trophy; it marked the perfect ending of years of hard work. Nicole described the moment as surreal. “It honestly feels amazing. I ended my senior year with a bang, and it’s something I’ll never forget,” she said. “We worked from the beginning to make it this far, and winning was so relieving.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, Emma said, “Winning the city championship felt amazing. We did what we were supposed to do. […] Every year leading up to my senior season we got knocked out, and every time it happened, our team came back the next year stronger, more determined, and more confident.”
With a record of 9-1 and a championship title, coach Christian Castillo said that the team performed better this year and was able to win the championship due to their consistency and growth in chemistry. Manager Jacob Castillo said that their tournament victories show how much “hard work they’ve put in to improve and play together as a team.”
Maraya said that the championship felt like the natural conclusion to months of effort. “It feels amazing to win because all our hard work finally paid off,” she said.
When asked to describe the team in three words, sophomore Ashley Shentu said, “I say we are very motivated, competitive, and energetic.”
Watch the moment the team captured the championship below (filmed by Ryan Chen).
Additional Reporting by Brendan Ling, Karson Chen, and Giuseppe Volpe
