The JV girls basketball team went 16-0 this season.
The team credits their success to a combination of team chemistry, skill and their coaches.
“We had really good team chemistry,” sophomore and captain Chloe Cole said. “We all got along really well, and we’re just really good.”
Freshman Lauren Olson believes that their companionship influenced how they played.
“We work together well, and there’s a lot of team bonding,” Olson said.
Head coach Douglas Sawitzky said the mindsets of the players were a large contributor to a successful team.
“The girls’ work ethic—you know, they came, worked hard, did what was asked of them every practice and pushed themselves,” said Sawitzky, who also serves as a school counselor.
Cole and her teammates shed light on the efforts made by the coaches throughout the season.
“Coach Sawitzky was so amazing, and Coach Burton was so inspirational,” Cole said. “They were just really good coaches, and they knew what they were doing.”
Sophomore Fiona Rodham, the team’s captain, commented on the coaching changes from last year, which gave the athletes an advantage.
“The plays that [Coach Sawitzky] came up with and the amount of work he put into scouting the other team—he knew who was gonna be the shooter, which was basic stuff for a basketball team,” Rodham said. “We didn’t really have that at the JV level last year.”
Despite their strong season, the team was worried they might break their streak for a few games.
“There was some concern with the Yorktown game and the W&L game,” freshman Natalie Grim said.
Rodham said she was surprised by the results of this year’s team.
“Marshall wasn’t supposed to be good,” Rodham said. “So it was kind of a big shock when we were finally done.”
Sawitzky compared the success of this season to last year’s freshman team.
“I think we had three girls who were on the 0-16 freshman team last year and then went to a 16-0 team,” Sawitzky said. “I think that’s a cool fact for those three.”
The coaches and players overall said they enjoyed their undefeated season.
“We loved every minute of it,” Grim said.