As Severn volleyball clashed with Indian Creek on Tuesday, it didn’t get the victory it sought, but did earn a glimpse of a possible future.
While two Anne Arundel public schools opened their doors within the last four years and launched dozens of new teams onto the scene, it’s not every day a brand new program walks onto a court for an already established school. It’s happening this year with the Admirals, much like Indian Creek did in 2018.
It was fitting, then, the once-new team grown up could give the new kids some lessons, a 3-0 sweep, 25-12, 25-16, 25-19.
“We’re still putting it together,” said Erin Bernhardt, who helmed St. Mary’s before taking on the first Admirals squad. “They’ve done a really good job going from first set and gelling by the third — working on communication and dynamic and learning to trust each other. I’m excited to see that continue to develop.”
The first-year volleyball program didn’t look like one at first glance. The Admirals junior varsity were well-stocked with members — an asset not every new program can claim — and, fresh off their first victory over the Eagles an hour earlier, they clustered together in the bleachers and screamed for every point gained and lost.
Bernhardt didn’t have to dig to unearth recruits. While she couldn’t have guessed what kind of talent would choose to walk through her doors, she was thrilled to procure a few club players — Amyah Heyliger and Naliya Hudson for example — as well as even more athletes who never spiked a volleyball before, save for, she said, a family barbecue.
It’s not a surprise Severn (0-2) didn’t hurt for numbers. Volleyball’s one of the fastest-growing high school sports at the minute. Indian Creek (1-1) wasn’t bare of talent either in 2018, drawing in Laila Ivey, now a junior playing at Maryland, and captured the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland C title the same year. The Admirals are perhaps fortunate in that because they won’t be admitted to the IAAM until next season, seasoned and green players alike will put a year together under their belts before vying for any kind of playoff glories.
Bernhardt kept her most inexperienced players on JV and the bottom half of the varsity rotation, but nevertheless seen their skills grow from August to now like plants under heavy rain.
“They’re eager to learn. They’ve surprised me with how much they want to know about the minutia of skills, breaking it down and getting the gratification of adjusting,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to lay a solid foundation, even from a coaching perspective. Without those playoff, league pressures I can focus on building the fundamentals and skills and schemes, and next season we can focus on getting more competitive.”
And in the microcosm of three sets, the Admirals varsity squad suffered the clunky misfires of a new squad still somewhat unfamiliar to each other and their team system, while also demonstrating just how talented they could soon be. After all, they very well could have captured the third set.
Spurred by Mackenzie Hilliard and Mackenzie Getz, Severn shared six ties and swapped five lead changes with Indian Creek. It was 14-14 before five service points from senior Jasmine Brewer landed control back to the Eagles for good.
“We were emphasizing communication and our energy, to push beyond that slow, poised game,” Eagles coach Jordyn Beans said.
What landed Severn in a two-set ditch begin was to be expected with a brand new team. It’s not that Indian Creek didn’t fire offensive points over the net, but Severn gifted their future IAAM rival too many free points by mistakes. The Eagles easily dominated the first set. Every time the Admirals veered within a few points of Indian Creek in the second frame, errors gathered together and the Eagles raced away with momentum again.
But unlike the first set, the Admirals did not balk when Indian Creek pushed a 16-6 lead.
Heyliger flashed the talent that could one day lift Severn toward the top of their league, three points from the serving line and a kill among a seven-point Severn run. But the Eagles lashed back with the collective resilience years of program experience gave them, ending with a kill from junior Mariah Smith.
Seven years separated from their championship inaugural season, the Eagles are in a state of rebuild, too, with a new coach and young members.
“I see a lot of growth, though, and growth coming in the future,” Beans said. “I feel like we’re scratching the surface of who we want to be and where we want to go. I’m excited to see what Severn does next, but I’m super excited to see what Indian Creek is about to be in the conference.”
Beach offered advice for the new team on the other side of the net, too.
“Enjoy the process,” she said. “It’s going to be one, just enjoy the next steps because it’s fun.”