The 2023 season was one to remember for the Sacred Heart Greenwich volleyball team, which advanced to the championship match of the NEPSAC Class A Tournament for the first time ever, after earning a berth in the FAA Tournament final.

One season removed from a 21-win season, the Tigers’ roster is quite different from last year, since several players graduated from the championship caliber squad, yet the 2024 Sacred Heart team is beginning to find its form against its competitive FAA/NEPSAC opponents.

Following a rough start to its season in which it lost some close matches/sets, Sacred Heart has registered victories in three of its last four matches, its latest win coming this past Saturday (Oct. 12) against visiting Kent School.

Sacred Heart (3-7) is in action again Wednesday when it hosts FAA foe Greenwich Country Day School, an improving opponent on the rise.

“We played some tough teams up front and unfortunately; the record doesn’t reflect the set scores,” Sacred Heart coach Beth Wilson-Jordan said.

“We took a set off Deerfield, we took a set off BBN, schools high in rankings for the Class A schools,” Wilson-Jordan continued. “In the sets we’re losing it’s about 22-25, so we’re gaining confidence and reps.”

In Saturday’s match versus Kent School, host SHG won the first set, then was victorious in the second set, 25-22. The Lions came back to win the third set, 25-21, but the Tigers responded by claiming the fourth game, 25-14 to win the match.

Senior captain Evangelyn Forte recorded 12 kills and 14 digs to help pace Sacred Heart to its third win of the season.

“It’s super great to have a win, especially against a team that is difficult to beat,” said Forte, who added eight assists for the victors. “We have definitely struggled throughout the season with energy, but today, we came together and had high energy the whole time and it made such a difference.”

Forte, one of the Tigers’ setters in previous seasons, is playing mostly on the right side this fall.

“It’s difficult transitioning to a different position, but if it’s what’s best for the team and if it’s what’s going to help us win games in the future then I’m more than happy to do it,” the Tigers captain said.

Sophomore Ana Pizzimbono totaled 15 kills, junior Mackenna Kelly posted 10 kills and 10 digs, while Jadamarie Henry had six kills in the winning effort. Kaitlin Robinson, Emilia Bernal, Emerson Eckert and Cait Haggerty were among some of the graduates from last season’s highly successful squad and Grace Gapen is playing at Greenwich Country Day School. Among some of the freshman on the Tigers’ squad is setter Julianna Luzzi, who is sparking the offense from her position.

Luzzi tallied 27 assists to go along with two aces for Sacred Heart, which led the majority of the time in each set against Kent. She kept the offense moving throughout.

“Julianna Luzzi, she is fantastic she is running the offense at the moment and doing a great job,” Wilson-Jordan said. “She is strong, she passes well – she can do it all. She’s been a great addition to the team. My other setter, Vange (Forte) and Jules work so well together, they are both triple threats, service line, attack line, setting hitting. They can do it all.”

Pizzimbono also compiled 26 digs for Sacred Heart in the triumph.

“A lot of it revolved around our energy,” said Pizzimbono, an outside hitter. “We’ve been working on that in practice. After losing the third set we were focused on the energy and effort – controlling the controllables.”

“We have two FAA matches coming up, so keeping the energy we had today is what we’re going to need,” added Pizzimbono, a libero in previous seasons.

Joining Luzzi as freshmen on the team are liberos Isabella Tonucci and Sophia Berlingo. Tonucci had 11 digs, while Berlingo posted two service aces.

Victoria Mordaunt was strong at the net as usual, tallying three blocks and Henry added three blocks. The Tigers were able to carry the momentum throughout most of their matchup against Kent.

“We always love to start off with a lead because it makes it easier for us the entire set,” Forte noted. “So, I think having a lot of heart, hustle – that’s what gets us to have a lead at the beginning.”

Indeed, Forte is embracing her role as team captain.

“There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with it, but I love all the girls on the team, they have my back, so it never really feels like too much,” she said. “It’s great to be a leader of the team.”

Eugenia Piriz, Isabella Nedder and Lily Fitzpatrick are juniors on the team. Grace Im and Kaitlyn Bentley are sophomores on the squad.

“We started the season trying a different offense, we switched and this one’s working for us, so I expect that as our confidence builds, we’re going to rise through the season,” Wilson-Jordan noted.

After hosting neighborhood foe Greenwich Country Day School on Wednesday, Sacred Heart visits FAA foe Greens Farms Academy on Saturday.

“We’ve had three wins in the past two weeks and I can tell we’re starting to get into a groove and we’re starting to come together as a team more,” Forte said. “It’s a great feeling. We all have such a great relationship off the court, it blends into on the court.”