Strong leadership helps Doherty girls' volleyball program build toward something special
Walking from the parking lot, as they approach their worn and dated gymnasium – which opened in 1966 – the four seniors and nine juniors who make up the Doherty varsity girls’ volleyball team often steer their eyes away from the impressive building construction site nearby.
Born just a little too soon, these upper-class Highlanders ponder. Ah, those lucky freshman and sophomore jayvees.
Why the sighs? Because inside the new Doherty High, which, when completed for the Fall 2024 opening, will be an 18,000 square-foot gym, big enough for two full-sized basketball courts and bleachers with a capacity to sit the entire student body.
An easy fit for a nice new volleyball court. Or two.
But quickly, those sad, missing-out feelings are replaced by joyous thoughts of what’s happening now. Although the Highlanders practice and play home matches on a 56-year-old court in a cramped gym, wonderful, lasting memories are being created. They are the 2022 Inter-High champions at 9-0 and own a lofty 13-2 overall record so far.
Doherty roared from the start of the season in early September, winning nine straight matches before a 3-2 loss to Oxford. Then came four wins in the next five matches including Friday’s 3-1 victory over Fitchburg, a fundraiser match with proceeds going to colon cancer research.
“A mother of a former player of ours recently was diagnosed with colon cancer, so we decided that’s where we wanted to direct our donations from that game,” said Doherty coach Kathryn Coporale.
The Highlanders are led by their foursome of seniors: captains Julia Prendergast, Kate McCarthy and Sophia Guerra, along with Evelynn Rogers.
“We build on every match, and we have just kept on getting better throughout the season,” said the 6-foot Prendergast, a middle hitter and the President of the Class of 2023, who had five aces and seven kills in a recent win over North. Prendergast would like to study pre-law in college.
A top student in math and biology, Guerra, a valuable setter, who had four aces against North and who has rebounded from a severe ankle injury that kept her out of action for her entire sophomore season, added, “Everybody likes being on this team and that reflects in how we play.”
Outside hitter McCarthy, who would like to be a teacher someday, and who had seven aces and a kill in a win at Main South, noted how special the team bonding is.
“We’re all really good friends, and that carries over off the court,” she said. “We have team dinners and we talk a lot about school and being seniors. There’s not a lot of drama here.”
In the 3-1 win over rival Burncoat, Rogers had a couple of aces and blocks and three kills. “Volleyball is all about communication, and we have that, plus good friendships. We work well together.”
Rogers added that she has been dealing with chronic headaches for a long time, and volleyball helps. “Somehow playing this game is a great outlet for me from some of the darkness that comes with my headaches,” she said.
Emma Delia, a junior libero who had 10 aces against North, is one of the top players among the contingent of juniors including outside hitters Analiesse Collins, Madison Minor, Lydia Mele and setter Angela Dhima, middles Abby Harito and Kiara McCray and back row specialist Johanna Hoang.
For Doherty outside hitter Reece Creamer, another junior, the win over South in the team’s nine-match winning streak was special. There in the stands was her father, Jeff Creamer, South High’s Principal.
“My dad kept saying that he couldn’t remember which team to cheer for,” said Reece with a laugh.
“We have a great group here and everyone is serious about academics too, taking a lot of honors courses,” said Coporale, who teaches math at Doherty and is a former four-year varsity player at St. Peter-Marien.
In a tough challenge, Doherty hosts 13-2 Grafton on Wednesday at 5 p.m. In the 1966 gymnasium.
Coaches all in the family
Coporale is thrilled to have her mother, Sheila Marshall, as her assistant coach along with junior varsity coach Kayla Coonan.
Marshall successfully coached the Worcester Tech girls' and boys' volleyball teams for several years before her retirement and for a decade was assisted by her daughter, Coporale.
“It’s a nice role reversal now, having my mother as my assistant coach,” Coporale said. She began playing volleyball years ago when she was a student at Fitchburg State, and later she gave me the bug when she got into coaching. I’ve been playing ever since I was a kid, and I still play once a week in a recreational league."
Golf Tournament Time
The MIAA fall golf championships are set for the following dates and courses: Div. 1 Central: Oct. 17 at Heritage CC in Charlton; Div. 1 West: Oct. 17 at Franconia GC in Longmeadow. Div. 1 state championship: Oct. 25 at Renaissance GC in Haverhill.
Div. 2 Central: Oct. 18 at Maplegate CC in Bellingham; Division 2 West: Oct. 18 at The Ranch GC in Southwick. Div. 2 state championship: Oct. 25 at Maplegate CC.
Div. 3 Central: Oct. 18 at Blissful Meadows in Uxbridge; Div. 3 West: Oct. 17 at The Country Club of Wilbraham. Div. 3 state championship: Oct. 25 at The Ledges GC in South Hadley.
New England Championship (by invite only): Oct. 31 at Mohegan Sun GC in Baltic, CT.
Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Strong leadership helps Doherty girls' volleyball program build toward something special
