After almost four years without a volleyball team, the program was resurrected this season. When sports sign-up day at Northern Essex came around, the table where prospective volleyball players were meeting was the table with the most buzz. For a program coming back after being gone for multiple seasons, this was a good sign.
The women who signed up were very interested in the new team, and some were recruited by brand new head coach, Monica Reum. Reum was hired for the job last spring and started recruitment right away.
Reum is a 23-year old Business Graduate from Merrimack College, who has played the sport for most of her life and still plays on some traveling squads. She shows a real passion for the sport and only wants the best for her players. Also, Tiffany Gadd, who played for the NECC volleyball team when it was last running, was named assistant coach.
The NECC Knights formed their team after sign-ups and tryouts, and went to Bunker Hill Community College for their first game as a new club. The Knights showed an impressive effort in the first game of the season, but ended up on the losing end, 3-2. It was a close game that brought hopeful expectations for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, they would not live up to the expectations.
After the season-opening loss, NECC traveled to Rhode Island for a CCRI-hosted two-day tournament. On September 17th they played NHTI and Howard Community College the first day of the tournament, then Hartford Community College and Fashion Institute of Technology on the second day. The Knights lost all four games they played in and all were shutouts. Shutouts would be the theme over the next few games.
Their next event was a double-header on October 1st. They played at NHTI, their first game against NHTI and the second against Unity College. Both games the Knights were shutout. The Knights now had an 0-7 record on the season. Up until that point all of NECC’s games were on the road, but their next match would be their first of two home games of the season.
October 6th was the Knights’ home opener. There was a lively crowd in the stands, ready to finally see the new squad. NECC was taking on NHTI and while Northern Essex came out to a fast start, they were shutout once again. They did gain a lot of support from everyone in attendance.
After the home loss, the Knights were off to the Dig Pink Tournament at CCRI. They took on Bunker Hill Community College and CCRI, once again ending their games in shutouts. NECC was now 0-10 on the season.
They came back to Northern Essex for their only other home game, in what would be their last game of the team’s first season. The crowd from the first home game was back in the stands and ready for some action. Once again, NECC started off hot at the beginning of the game, but cooled down soon after. Though, something happened that hadn’t happened since the very first game of the season, the Knights won a set. Instead of being shutout for the ninth time on the season, the Knights lost 3-1.
The team finished the season with an 0-11 record. The Knights’ leading scorer on the season was Leiza Cabrera who scored 42 points.
“It was great to have volleyball back,” said Athletic Director, Sue MacAvoy. “Monica and Tiffany did a fine job in getting the program off the ground. After a year of recruiting and the many returners we are well on our way to building a solid program.”
The final results of the season may seem discouraging but there is plenty to look forward to in the next few years.
When softball came to NECC during the 2013-14 season, they also went winless in their first season. Then they got better the next season with 4 wins, and last year the softball team got 12 wins and won the President’s Cup. Over time, the volleyball squad will see their results getting better as well, there is no doubt about that.