The Emmaus High School girls volleyball team was under the direction of new head coach Jessica Attieh last season and the Green Hornets went 14-7 overall and 11-5 in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, qualifying for both the conference and District 11 4A tournaments, winning a match at districts along the way.

Emmaus graduated a talented senior class, but Attieh, in her second year at the helm, has some experience and leadership back and continues to put her imprint on the program to find success both on and off the court.

“I look forward to continuing to grow this program and these girls as student-athletes,” said Attieh. “I always say that it is important to not only develop volleyball skills, but also life skills that these girls can take with them into every aspect of their lives. We have an older group with great leadership and a younger group with a lot of talent, which gives Emmaus a bright future.”

Some of the top returning players for the Green Hornets this season include Sammy Spiro, Lauren Horvath and Cirrae Cuffy, all of whom Attieh is excited about and knows what they bring. Then there is a group of underclassmen that she talked about that she feels will contribute in a big way.

“Rosalia Landino is a freshman with incredible potential,” Attieh said. “The sophomore class, especially Amanda Rivera Ayala, Claudia Walls and Alyssa Heffner, has stepped up and demonstrates significant improvement in their skill level, communication, confidence and competitiveness.”

“Each year an individual stands out as a leader,” said Attieh. “I noticed that the senior class all lead by example and look to improve every day we are on and off the court. The upperclassmen bring so much talent and competitiveness that pushes everyone in the gym to do better. I can happily say that each individual brings something to the table that makes them unique, and they all have a desire to be better volleyball players, students, and individuals.”

There aren’t many flaws with this group, but there are always areas to improve upon.

“You could say every team has an area to improve,” Attieh said. “One of the main areas I see that is consistent is rising above the mistakes made and overcoming adversity.”

Emmaus has its season opener in conference play at Whitehall on Tuesday, August 29th. The home opener is set for that Thursday night against Allen.