The squeak of sneakers on the gym floor, the cheers and boos of the student section, and the tension of a tight game weighing on the backs of our players are all things to be expected tonight as the girls’ volleyball team goes head-to-head with Oyster River’s age-old rival Coe Brown. The last two years our girls have faced the Bears in edge-of-the-seat games in the State Championship and both years they brought home the gold. The question is if they can keep the momentum going and win a third title for Oyster River.
A highlight of every Oyster River sports season is our face offs with our rival Coe Brown, but the tensions run especially high when it comes to volleyball. For the past two years Coe Brown has been the biggest competition for the Bobcats. Today’s game will be the rivals’ first game against each other this season, falling right on Coe Brown’s homecoming weekend.
When asked about her nerves, varsity player Carly Dalton (‘26) states, “It’s the outside aspects… there’s a lot of chirping. It’s Coe Brown so everyone goes to it.”
This seems to be a shared sentiment among the players about Coe Brown’s intense student section. “I’m nervous how the younger players will react. Obviously when people are shouting ‘You suck!’ it’s going to take a toll on you,” says Leah Lynskey (26’) one of the team captains.
Our Bobcats have made a big impression on the volleyball teams of New Hampshire for the past two years. To most schools, winning a set or two against Oyster River is considered a big accomplishment, and every team is vying to be the one to knock them off their pedestal.
Aubrey Young, (‘26), a varsity player, comments on how rival schools take them as serious competition. “We’re the team with the target on our back since we won the last two years… I think we need to keep our heads down and play how we know.” The thought to “keep our heads down” was widely agreed upon by other players who were averse to being cocky or over-confident about their chances this year, despite being the reigning champs.
It is clear from the way they perform together on the court that the team is a tight-knit group of girls that are always offering support in and out of games. From pregame gifts and sandwiches before, to spaghetti dinners on the weekend, the volleyball girls work to build their bond as both a team and a family.
Arguably the most important aspect to a sports team is team chemistry. A sporting team with close friendships and trust performs much better on the court despite the skill of the players, and it’s no doubt that Oyster River has that in abundance. When asked, Lynskey states. “Our chemistry is really good…everyone is comfortable with each other… a lot of us are friends outside of volleyball which translates inside of volleyball.”
It’s clear that this chemistry works outside of the just the Varsity team as well. Junior Varsity Coach Gabriella Ohava states, “[Between] JV, Varsity, Reserve we have some really dedicated players.” Dedication seems to be a common trait among our players as every single girl puts in the work to be prepared for the season.
Ohava states, “We’re taking every match like the championship match.” Stressing that, if the girls want to bring home the title a third time this year, they’re going to have to stay focused and work hard.
Despite the tight matches against Coe Brown our girls still have high hopes for the outcome of this year’s season as the Varsity Coach Cassandra Doore put the motto “New Team Same Dream” on all the girls warm up jerseys. Although the past two years were a clean sweep for the volleyball team, this year means new players and new competition.
With nerves and tensions running high for every player, Coe Brown or Oyster River, it’s going to be an intense game tonight. The talent and dedication of our volleyball team promises their best efforts to show up and show out representing our school on enemy turf. Wishing them the best of luck, Let’s Go Bobcats!
– Anne Graff
Mouth of the River 
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