The Southmoreland girls volleyball team got a taste of what it feels like to have no seniors on the team for a year. Not many high school sports encounter these kind of situations, but the juniors on the team are optimistic about the outcome of the future.
“This gives us juniors time to get ready for our true senior year,” said junior Bethany Bunner, “We will come into our senior year stronger because we will know the strengths and weaknesses of our team.”

The team finished the season with a 6-6 section record, narrowly missing the playoffs.
Some of the varsity juniors on the team this year include Brooke Corley, Carissa Cyphert, Bethany Bunner, Haley Kolar, and Kim Weinman. Not having any seniors for a year means that the current juniors will be “top dogs” for two consecutive years.
“Being everyone’s role model for two years in a row doesn’t really mean anything to me,” said junior Kim Weinman, “When we are on the court, I don’t look at the person’s age or grade, we play as a team, and teams aren’t supposed to be divided into grades.”
With the team not having seniors, it is giving the junior girls more time to get ready for the further year and get them ready to be the seniors.
“It’s really nice because we get to bond together and it makes it seem like we have more leadership,” said co-captain Alli Sherbondy.
Co-captain Brooke Corley was injured and did not finish the season. but she’s looking forward to next year.
“At the beginning of the season, I was thinking that it was going to be more challenging,” said Corley, “But after a couple games, we were competing with teams just as strong as anyone else. You would never know there weren’t any seniors.”
The girls are now realizing that being at the top of the team for possibly two years will help their skills and make them better at the game.
“The freshman have been playing well and have earned the respect of the upperclassmen who know that there is a solid team behind them,” said coach Kristy Bunner.
The players did not only play as a team but had the underclassmen looking up to them for help.
“It definitely pushes me more knowing that all eyes are on us,” said junior Haley Kolar.
Carissa Cyphert, a junior, added that “the underclassmen are a talented group of girls” and they are “pushed to be the best they can” in order to be the right leaders for them.
This year the girls have a chance to secure a playoff spot.
“We really really have to practice and play together to make the playoffs,” said Bunner, “It would be crazy to know that our hard work paid off, even without seniors.”