New England College held its historic first volleyball match on September 1st, 2017. The program was added last fall, but the season did not officially start till this year.
“It’s a really exciting time for our team, as well as our staff to be a part of the first team ever. Every day we have the opportunity to make a splash. It’s nice to have the opportunity to create our own program here and make it exactly the experience we all want it to be,” said Head Coach Laura Falkowitz.
The season was off to a great start with a hard-fought home win in five sets over Southern Vermont College. The young team slipped into a bit of a slump after their first match, losing seven of their next eleven matches.
“We expect to remain competitive against some tough schools. More importantly though, we are gaining a lot of experience at the collegiate level. We are a young team so our expectations are to continue building and improving every day. I am very happy with how this team has come together so far,” said Coach Falkowitz.
Freshman captain Melanie Langgle was more than excited to be a part of NEC history, as well as a part of the supportive athletics community.
“The athletic community has been very supportive of our program! I saw a lot of athletes in our stands for the first game and the coaches as well. We also played in a pick-up game with the coaches which was super funny.”
With 10 games remaining, including seven North Atlantic Conference games, the Pilgrims and Coach Falkowitz look to end their historic first season on a positive note. The Pilgrims are currently 6-11 overall, but have not played any conference games.
“This team has set goals to improve every day. Go out there and push yourself to the best of your ability, and in doing such – the success on the court will come.”