Germantown Academy's volleyball players have reassembled to launch their 2024 season, coming off of a 2023 campaign that was the most successful in the history of the franchise. Not only did the Patriots repeat as Inter-Ac League champions, but they also finished up in the finals of the Pa. Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament, winning 3-1 over their archrivals from the Academy of Notre Dame. The Irish had won the previous nine PAISAA titles.

GA graduated six players from that 2023 squad, two reserves and four starters, including Inter-Ac MVP setter Angie Wang and All-League hitter Kaitlyn Pokorny. Fourth-year head coach Chuck Dougherty and returning assistant Eli Porr will have to get some younger players up to speed quickly as they build around a core of veterans.

The captains for the Pats this fall are three seniors; six-foot hitter and All-Inter-Ac First Team selection Caroline Smith, all-league second team hitter Hadley Evans, and libero Liv Reynolds, who is also the starting pitcher for the Patriots' softball team.

Kaitlyn Pokorny's sister, Emily, is part of a junior class that includes seasoned setter Nicole Ward and Abby Traina, a defensive specialist who can also function as a libero. The other returning juniors are Alexis Farnsworth, Bridget Flannery, Kat Kou, and Jade West, and joining the class of '26 is a hitter who has transferred from Gwynedd Mercy Academy, Pilar Presson.

Sophomore Delaney Schwartz, whom Coach Dougherty describes as a right side hitter with great promise, was one of few freshmen on the 2023 varsity, as was setter Syd Kozel. Fellow 10th graders Olivia Cooper and Raphi Solomon are moving up to the varsity squad, which also includes one freshman, Julia Maxwell.

Dougherty said he felt the early non-league opponents on GA's 2023 schedule had not been challenging enough, so this season he's started the Patriots off with matches against some large public school squads. On the road, Germantown succumbed in five sets to Pennsbury High School, and last Monday Abington High School paid a visit for the Patriots' home opener in the Griswold Gymnasium.

After losing 25-18 in the opening set, the Pats stayed with the visiting Ghosts up to 8-8. After that Abington edged ahead and continued to a 25-19 win.

GA led 16-13 in the third set when Abington called a time-out, and the momentum changed when play resumed. Later, on the cusp of a 24-20 defeat, the Patriots fought back to a 24-all tie. Sets must be won by two-point margins, and the Ghosts went up by one when the home team committed a double-touch violation. GA could not return Abington's next serve, and the Ghosts prevailed 26-24 to wrap up a 3-0 match.

Abington displayed a bit more discipline throughout the encounter and covered the court more effectively on defense. This wasn't so surprising in this bout between two talented teams, since Abington and the PIAA schools had started fall practices a week earlier than GA and the other Inter-Ac squads.