MANCHESTER, NH – The Trinity High School girls volleyball team’s homeless season ended where it began and remained throughout the fall campaign: on the road.
The Pioneers, forced to spend their 2023 season without a home gym due to water damage at Trinity High School, traveled to Concord Christian Academy Thursday and lost their first-round matchup against the sixth-ranked Kingsmen, 3-0.
“They played their hearts out,” said Trinity head coach Tyler Breckinridge. “It was a tough season. We had to be road warriors, so for them to come out and fight, it wasn’t the result they wanted, but you’ve got to give it to Concord Christian. They’re a great team. They played their hearts out, so did we, it just didn’t go our way tonight.”
After dropping the first set, 25-9, Trinity pushed the hosts in the second set but still fell, 25-20. The third set was perhaps the most competitive, with the Pioneers falling behind, 4-1, and then 10-3, before charging back to draw within three points.
Concord Christian, however, stood tall when it mattered most and held the tenacious visitors off with a 25-21 win in set three to take the match.
“They picked up their game and they wouldn’t let the ball hit the floor. I’m very impressed with how Trinity did (tonight),” said Concord Christian head coach Doug Oxford. “They’ve improved a lot since just in the last few weeks since we played them. They didn’t give up, they kept fighting and they adjusted, which was really good to see.”
“It’s hard when you have to go to school everyday, and then you have to get in your cars, or find a ride or ask mom or dad to bring you to a gym that’s not your own gym, it’s tough,” said Breckinridge. “But they stuck with it for more than three months, they competed, got into the playoffs, which not every team does, so I’m super proud of this group of girls.”
Breckinridge said he looks forward to having a home gym again next season and experiencing the energy of a home crowd, but lamented on the reality that it will be without his current group of seniors, including Izzy Ali, Madi Garcia, Vella Rokor Ashak and Adrianna Leonard.
“It’s going to be really hard to replace the seniors. They gave it their all. They’re the true leaders of this team and it’s going to be really weird not seeing them on the court,” he said. “But the expectation is you get better, you keep growing as a team, and hopefully we’ll bring back a good amount of our core that weren’t seniors and we’ll be able to go forth and get past that first round next year.”
Breckinridge said the team’s strong group of sophomores and juniors will have a chance to grow closer as a team through a series of open gyms in the spring and summer leading up to the 2024 season.
“The sophomore class was actually one of the largest in Trinity in 10 years, which means a lot of players for all sports,” he said, “and the good news is that we have that group of core players and also a good amount of juniors that we’ll have back, so hopefully we add some freshmen next year, move a couple kids from JV up and have a great season.”
Browse these photos from Trinity’s senior night and more for viewing or purchase from Lavigne’s Live Shots.