After RHS alumnus Kayla Johnson graduated last year, the girls’ volleyball team has changed dramatically. The team is now down to only 11 players, two of whom are sophomores.

Johnson was a star player on the team last year. She was recruited to Providence College on a volleyball scholarship.

“[Johnson] was definitely a big hit with her graduation, but there are many players on the team this year with a lot of potential that can fill in her shoes,” English teacher and varsity coach Sean Pang said.

In addition to the loss of Johnson, the team has decreased in size since the 2012-2013 school year, from 14 to 11 people. The players have had to work harder to fill in the gaps and to keep the team as strong as it was last year.

“I found that a smaller team helps maximize playing time and gives the opportunity for the players to focus on their strengths and weaknesses,” Pang said.

The two underclassmen, Sara Adam and Valerie Jones, have a lot of potential to be star players this year. They work hard to maintain their playing time on the court.

“I feel that the team is committed and well-oriented a�� the front row is very powerful and is always communicating with one another,” junior Kristen Markham said.

The team performs well during practices; however, they do not perform to the best of their abilities during their games. They need to work on picking themselves up after a mistake and moving on to the next play. If one player is down, it brings the whole team down.

While last year’s team relied on Johnson, this year, the whole team will have to work to keep the team on track. Even though the team is currently 0-4, they hope to work hard so they can finish as well as they did last year.

“Being part of the varsity team is an honor, but it can be scary at times because of the high expectations,” sophomore Sara Adam said.