Five matches into its FAA schedule, the Sacred Heart Greenwich volleyball team has yet to be defeated.

Indeed, the Tigers are meeting their high expectations, as the season has just past its midway point.

Sacred Heart continued its perfect season against FAA opponents, registering a decisive 3-0 road win over longtime rival Greenwich Academy. The victory raised the Tigers’ record to 5-0 in the FAA and 9-2 overall.

It’s always an intense matchup when Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart renew their FAA volleyball rivalry and Wednesday’s match at GA was no different. Last season’s match saw the Tigers edge the Gators, 3-2, but Wednesday they controlled the majority of the action earning a three-set sweep, winning the final one, 25-14.

“It’s a great win, I’m really proud of this team,” Sacred Heart senior co-captain Emilia Bernal said. “The most enjoyable aspect of playing for this team is seeing what we practice come into the game. It’s the best feeling to know that our hard work is paying off and that we’re getting better every single game.”

Bernal recorded six kills, eight digs, five aces and one assist, while Emerson Eckert had five kills, four digs, one ace and one assist for the Tigers.

“We served well, we served received OK, but our system was really strong,” SHG coach Beth Wilson-Jordan said. “Right now, we are trying to keep going so that we can have home field in the playoffs.”

Senior co-captain Kaitlin Robinson posted three kills, two blocks and one assist, while Evangelyn Forte had 17 assists, four digs, three aces and two blocks in the winning effort.

“We worked really hard the whole time and we were playing as a team,” Robinson said of the Tigers’ overall performance. “In the third set, when we were down we just kept going and went back to fundamentals.”

Greenwich Academy has a record of 5-2 in the FAA and is 6-2 overall. They are hosting Miss Porter’s School today.

“The season has been going really well so far,” GA first-season coach Stephen Caddy said. “We’ve had some good matches against good teams that we can out on top. Unfortunately, this was one of those days. Today was one of those games where we just didn’t bring our best.”

The Gators’ FAA victories have come against Greenwich Country Day School, School of the Holy Child, Hopkins School, St. Luke’s and Masters School. They dropped a tough, 3-2 decision to Rye Country Day School. Casey Brower and Mariana Marti are Greenwich Academy’s senior captains.

“So far, our season has been really good this wasn’t our best moment this season,” Marti said of Wednesday’s match versus SHG. “This game highlighted our weaknesses – we are a team that is largely made up of younger people. So, it highlighted our mental weakness when it comes to playing a tough game, so going forward this season we have to build that up.”

“I’m excited for what we can accomplish when we do achieve that,” Marti continued. “It gives me a lot of pride to be able to be their captain and build them up.”

Ana Pizzimbono tallied 11 digs, three aces and one assist, Cait Haggerty had four kills, one block, one dig and one assist and Jane Murphy added two kills, two blocks and one assist for Sacred Heart, which visits NEPSAC foe Kent School today at 3 p.m. Brianna Timlin contributed seven digs and two aces in the win. Both Sacred Heart and Greenwich Academy are on pace to earn good seeds in the season-ending NEPSAC Tournament.

The Tigers advanced to the championship match of the FAA Tournament in 2022, where it lost to rival King School. They defeated King, 3-1, this season, on Sept. 27.

“We are ranked first in the FAA right now, but we are staying humble about it and staying aggressive, knowing that we have a target on our back,” Bernal noted. “We are still working hard and playing for ourselves.”

Like Sacred Heart, Greenwich Academy has a talented roster and should make its mark in the postseason.

“We have so much power in our hitters, we have a lot of power in our swings,” said Brower, an outside hitter. “I think we just need to develop our mental game to be as strong as our physical game. Once we get there no one is going to stop us.”

Caddy especially appreciates the effort the squad’s captains of put in throughout the season.

“Their leadership has been great,” Caddy said. “We’ve got two new freshmen on our team that are both new to the school and they have done a great job of taking them under their wing and bringing them on board.”

Said Marti: “Being a captain gives me a lot of pride to be able to be their captain and build them up. I feel like it makes me a better player and keeps me accountable. Today’s match definitely motivates us. I feel like this wasn’t our best moment and we didn’t show what we are capable of.”

After hosting Miss Porter’s today, GA will host Hamden Hall Country Day School on Oct. 18.

“We have so much talent and so much potential, once we realize that no one can beat us when we are on our game and playing GA volleyball, we will do great,” said Brower, a fifth-season varsity athlete. “Once we gain that confidence, we will be able to match up with anyone. I think we have so much potential. I’m excited to see where we end up.”

Sacred Heart hosts Masters School on Monday.

“It’s been really exciting so far, but it’s also important to stay in the moment and remember we still have a lot more to come,” Robinson said. “It feels awesome that a lot of our hard work is paying off, but we’re still going to keep on going.”

“Our serving was both consistent and aggressive,” Bernal said. “That is something we’ve been working on a lot. If we can control the game from the service side, then we can control the game – that’s our motto.”