The Varsity Volleyball team hosted Noble and Greenough on Saturday, October 22 to cap off their Family Weekend on a beautiful fall afternoon. The atmosphere in the Cage was energetic with the support from friends and family of the Zebras, and Middlesex impressed, winning in straight sets.

At the start of the first set both teams looked to establish themselves, however, the Zebras were able to jump out to an early 8-3 lead and maintained that gap throughout the set. Annabelle Lerner '23 and  Parker Boyden '23 dominated at the net, while  Romy Ahn '23, Charlotte Heafey '25, Julie Chen '23 were in control of the serve receive, and Caroline Cervini '23, Devon Coyle '24, and Tem Taepaisitphongse '23 served tough to keep the pressure on the Bulldogs. Middlesex extended the lead in the second half of the set resulting in a 25-15 first set win.

Having established initial dominance on the court, the Zebras were determined to remain consistent in the second set. The set had a similar flow to the first, with the Zebras taking an early lead that they maintained throughout most of the set. With the Zebras ahead 12-7, the Bulldogs called a timeout to regroup. The cool-down did not affect the Zebras' performance, as Middlesex continued to impress through the set. The set featured a remarkable defensive play by Julie and Charlotte, who managed to get a seemingly unsaveable ball back across the court and ultimately win the point. Charlotte, Julie, and Tem continued to serve tough, making it challenging for the Bulldogs to sideout. The second set ended 25-17, Middlesex.

Despite the 2-0 lead, the Zebras did not underestimate the resilience of their opponents as they sought to complete the sweep in front of their supportive home crowd in the third set. The Nobles team, which was missing several key players on the day, deserve credit for how they played and improvised on the court despite being short handed. Once again, Middlesex jumped out to an early lead, 8-3, and never allowed the Bulldogs to close in despite their best efforts. At this point, the Zebras were locked in and playing their best volleyball with excellent team chemistry. Julie, Devon, and Tem also impressed from the service line as Middlesex comfortably closed the set, 25-18. 

Next up, Middlesex (9-1; 6-1 ISL) will host the Rivers School on Wednesday, October 26, in what should be a thrilling rematch of last year's NEPSAC quarterfinal.