The Emmaus High School girls volleyball team has opened the 2022 regular season with success, going unbeaten in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference competition through the first two weeks. Head coach Jessica Attieh credits her team’s work ethic in the preseason.

“We’ve had a strong start to regular season,” said Attieh. “We have had some tough competition early in the season with two five-set matches back-to-back. The girls have been working hard in the offseason to be able to withstand the endurance required for that. The girls work hard every day to better themselves and the team. From the start of the season to today, there have been significant changes made and the team is playing more as a whole. I look forward to seeing the growth of this team as the season continues.”

Following three victories over EPC teams in the span of four days in the opening week, the Green Hornets competed in the First Kill Tournament at Freedom High School. They squared off against quality opponents like Liberty, Archbishop Wood and Berks Catholic.

“The First Kill tournament was a great showing of several great teams,” Attieh said. “We played well overall and ended the day at 8-2 overall. It allowed me to see different players in different positions, and our ability to endure a long tournament day.”

As a first-year head coach with the program, Attieh has been able to rely on her upperclassmen to help lead on the court, including a strong senior group.

“Our leadership and grit have been our mainstays to winning thus far,” said Attieh. “The seniors all have a great presence on the team, both on and off the court. This team refuses to lose and their tenacity and ability to adjust has made them successful. The team is open to constructive criticism and has the ability to make necessary changes. Like I have said before, we are versatile in the sense that we can change on the fly and play the same game regardless of who is in.

“All of the seniors have taken their roles as captains and their roles on the team very seriously,” Attieh said. “Abby [Schweitzer], Hannah [Horvath], Chayce [Perna], Izzy [Russo], and Madi [Heiser-Elsea] have all showed me their ability to lead, volleyball skills and consistency. Fortunately, there are several juniors and underclassmen contributing to this team’s success, including Carly [Forsythe], Lauren [Horvath] and Maleya [Hinds].”

Heading into this week Emmaus was 6-0 overall and 5-0 in EPC play. The Hornets are one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the league as West Division rival Parkland and East Division leader Liberty are both unblemished.

Emmaus is slated to take on Liberty on Sept. 22 and Parkland on Sept. 27. Both matches will be played at Emmaus.