Sacred Heart Greenwich’s varsity volleyball team is highly optimistic about the position it’s in with the regular season just past its midway point.

“I think we’re stronger than last year, which is good, we are returning a good, solid set of returners,” Sacred Heart Greenwich head coach Beth Wilson-Jordan said, who also noted her team’s improvement. “Our returning players have stepped up and we still have a lot of work to do. All of our games have been close.”

The Tigers sport a record of 2-2 in the FAA and were 7-3 overall, following their home match against Hopkins School on Oct. 7th. FAA victories for Sacred Heart came against Hamden Hall Country Day School – a 3-0 win – and Rye Country Day School – a 3-0 triumph.

SHG has also earned victories against Masters School (a 3-0 win), Loomis Chaffee School (3-1 victory), Deerfield School (3-1 win) and Kent School (3-0 victory). Captaining the Tigers are senior Kaitlyn Bentley, junior Julianna Luzzi and senior Ana Pizzimbono.

Luzzi is an experienced setter, Pizzimbono is an outside hitter and Bentley plays on the right side.

“We have a good group of captains, they all bring something different,” Wilson-Jordan said. “Ana was a captain last year, she’s been on varsity since she was in eighth grade, so it’s nice to have that. She’s very calm on the court and Jules runs the offense, she’s a junior, so it’s nice to have that leadership.”

“Kaitlyn is all positivity and perseverance,” Wilson-Jordan said, describing the team’s captains. “She brings a lot of energy. Kaitlyn brings positivity, perseverance, energy, she is super excited after every play. She has had a great season and she plays with a lot of joy.”

Against Hopkins School, Sacred Heart overcame a bit of a slow start and played better as the match progressed. The visiting Hilltoppers won the match by set scores of 25-15, 25-20, 22-25, 25-16, to improve their record to 3-0 in the FAA.

Sacred Heart’s best moments in its FAA match against Hopkins came in the third game. An ace by junior outside hitter Sophia Berlingo gave SHG an 18-17 lead.

Luzzi’s kill made it 21-17 in favor of the Tigers. With Luzzi serving, Pizzimbono closed out the game with a kill, giving the hosts a 25-22 third set win, making the match, 2-1.

“I think in the third set we definitely came back with a lot more energy and responded well to the first two sets,” Julianna, ‘Jules’ Luzzi said. “Everyone started off slow, which was unfortunate, but I think we did good to bring ourselves back up to the third.”

Wilson-Jordan credited Pizzimbono, sophomore outside hitter Arabella Pike and freshman libero Sofia Dinkelmann for providing stellar passing and Luzzi for producing well-placed sets. The Tigers also received strong serving from Berlingo and solid defensive play from sophomore libero Jocelyn Epperson

Pizzimbono, a mainstay on the varsity team since she was an eighth grader, discussed her position on the court.

“My position is important, you’re passing, you’re playing offense, you’re being a vocal leader,” Pizzimbono noted. “The girls around me, especially our setter Jules, really helps me, because she knows what I need and how to adjust.”

“So, I think I’m definitely working to get better every day since it’s a different position for me than what I play outside of school.,” Pizzimbono continued.

In the second set, Luzzi helped lead the host Tigers with solid setting and a pair of kills, Pike posted a kill and Epperson served an ace to also highlight the set for SHG.

Indeed, the Tigers’ captains are certainly appreciating their leadership roles.

“Coming up as captain this year has meant so much to me,” Bentley said. “I’ve grown so close to these girls over the past three years, they’ve become a second family to me. Knowing that they trust me for this role really meant a lot and I want to do the best that I can to make them feel supported and welcomed.”

As for being a part of the Sacred Heart volleyball program?

“I came in freshman year and jumping right into this program gave me so many friends and a sense of comfort,” Bentley said. “It really helped me grow in my confidence and this has helped me become who I am today.”

Said Luzzi of her position as one of the Tigers’ captains: “Having them as my co-captains is very helpful. Everyone looks up to us, you can tell. They support us in our decisions and we support them in how they respond to us.”

Currently, Sacred Heart’s varsity squad is in Michigan competing against other Sacred Heart schools from around the nation. In 2025, they traveled to Texas to play in a similar tournament against the schools that are also part of the Sacred Heart network.

Sacred Heart Greenwich left for their tournament in Michigan on Oct. 8th and will return on Sunday. The tournament includes six Sacred Heart teams.

The Tigers host Greenwich Academy on Oct. 14 and School of the Holy Child, also an FAA opponent on Oct. 17th. A home match against Greenwich Country Day School is scheduled for Oct. 21, followed by an away matchup versus Greens Farms Academy (Oct. 21) and a contest at home vs. Taft School (Oct. 28).

Sacred Heart began its 2026 season with victories against Convent of the Sacred Heart from Manhattan, Hamden Hall and Masters.

“We started off pretty strong, we had our first two wins at the beginning and I think that’s been good,” Luzzi said. “It’s been uplifting for the younger girls to see how the rest of the season is going to look. We’ve been working really hard in practice. We’ve been working really hard in practice.”

“Some of the stronger teams we’ve played have been NEPSAC teams and I think that’s given us a lot of confidence that we can play better in the FAAs,” Pizzimbono noted. “With this match, we are definitely going to learn to start stronger and keep the momentum throughout, so we don’t have some more outcomes like that.”

“The program means so much to me,” Pizzimbono continued. “This is my fifth year on the team, so just watching the girls grow every year means a lot and I will do everything I can to help us be a better team.”

Bentley described some of the team’s strengths, which should help carry them through the remainder of the season.

“We have very strong energy,” Bentley said. “We have very strong personalities and I think together we can combine and our energy becomes so fun and we really like each other.”