H.S. girls volleyball: Smith Voc embracing high expectations after state final run

NORTHAMPTON — How does a team that reached a state championship prepare for a match the next season?

For Smith Vocational volleyball, its routine typically includes creating TikTok videos before it plays its opponents on the court. Posts usually are of the team dancing as a group or making jokes together.

“We usually create dancing ones with us as a team that are high-energy,” junior Ednaliz Cruz said. “It keeps our energy boosted for the game and keeps us excited.”

While there is disagreement on who is the best dancer (Cruz believes its herself, while teammate Hecmarie Diaz-Lopez says its Isabella Boudreau), it’s clear the Vikings are still a close knit team after last season’s historic postseason run that saw them reach their first-ever state title game in program history.

“We are a big friend group, we have great bonds,” Diaz-Lopez said. “We always like to make great memories, make jokes all the time. We always have team bonding activities”

That energy and camaraderie were on full display during Smith Voc’ s 3-0 sweep over Ware at home on Wednesday. The team’s energy was at a constant high through the final point of the game. It was the team’s third straight victory, all going the minimum three sets.

“This season has been going great,” Diaz-Lopez said. “All the girls play to their full potential all the time.”

The lone blemish through the early schedule was to Renaissance, who also lost to Div. 5 state champion Hopedale in the postseason last fall. The opening match victory served as a reminder the Vikings still had to work on a few parts of their game. While it may be hard to keep the team quiet off the court, Smith Voc head coach Ashley Clark believes success will come as long as they talk on the court.

“You can see it in the first set to the last set,” Clark said. “Even tonight, when the communications are constant, they are way more successful.”

Though there were only a few seniors on last year’s team, multiple were key contributors to their success. Setter Roma Bentrewicz and Heidymar Diaz-Lopez, who led the team in kills, were among the graduates.

Knowing her seniors would leave a big hole on the court, Clark planned ahead and had younger players get experience at certain positions last season with the expectation they would take on larger roles.

“You start by working with the returners from last season first,” Clark said. “They started working on those roles before they even came back this season, so they were already a little bit more comfortable where they should be.”

Junior Ainsley Chrzanowski spent time as the back-up setter last season and now taken on the full-time passing duties. She had 13 assists and three aces against Ware.

Senior Leah Franklin was second in kills last season as a middle blocker before a knee injury pushed her to change positions. Now working as opposite hitter and setter, she’s racking up more assists and digs than in previous years. She already has a career-high in assists and had 10 blocks on Wednesday.

Her move has opened up the opportunity for younger players like Cruz and Jocelyn Ayala to see more time in the front row. The duo are first and second on the team in blocks and are important pieces on the offense. Ayala led the team with a season-high six kills. Ayala moved up from JV to varsity this season while Cruz started getting more time at the middle on the back half of last season.

Now that a state final is no longer uncharted territory for the Vikings, expectations around the program are high, but Clark says the team doesn’t feel that pressure as last year’s run gave them plenty of confidence.

“We went all the way to the end. There’s no other higher level,” Clark said. “So if we know we can do it, then we can do it again.”

The experience also gave Clark valuable lessons as coach that gave her a greater value in building relationships with her players.

“A lot of honesty and communication goes a long way,” Clark said. “You have to keep having those hard conversations to make sure that we are progressing.”

While the playoffs are still a ways away, the Vikings make the most of their time together at every match, such as posing for group photos between sets.

“They’ve grown to have a good relationship. Some of them are really good friends outside of here, some are only friends over here, but it doesn’t matter,” Clark said. “They’re really tight-knit about knowing that when they’re here, they are one unit.”