Scarlet Hawks will try to bounce back after subpar 2023

By Chris Villani

The Milford High girls’ volleyball team returns to the floor this fall after missing out on the state tournament last year for the first time since head coach Tammy Webber returned to the program.

“One of our goals is definitely to make the postseason, regardless of how hard they say our schedule is,” Webber said. “I think we have the players, we should make the postseason.”

The Scarlet Hawks are relatively young this year, Webber said, but the team is also fairly deep at most positions. Senior captain Claudia Solitro is back at outside hitter and Webber said she will be a big part of the Hawks’ attack.

“She led in attempts for hitting last year, and I think she can be our kills leader this year,” Webber said. “She has gotten her consistency down and she is going to score a lot of points.”

Another senior captain, Tj Downing, is another skilled outside hitter who was an honorable mention Hockomock League All-Star a season ago. Julianys Rentas is yet another outside hitter who Webber praised for her athleticism and tendency to go for the kill.

In the middle, sophomore Abby Murphy returns after seeing time on the varsity floor during her first season. Junior Layanne Maforte brings size and athleticism to the middle as well. Milford also has 5-foot-11 Sam DeNegris and six-foot Danielle Darling to add size on the right side.

On defense, sophomore Isa Grady-Harper and senior Gianna Lebron will see time at libero with juniors Lucia Testa and Emma Ridolfi playing defensive specialist.

One question mark for the Scarlet Hawks this fall will be setter, with three players vying for time. Webber said sophomore Lina Lyubkin should fit nicely into one of the setting roles. Freshmen Brooke Stokes and Aaliyah Campos will also compete for a spot at setter, though Webber added that Stokes is athletic enough to fill in at other spots.

Webber said he is hopeful that Milford will compete for one of the top spots in the Hockomock League’s Kelley-Rex division, and the young team is hungry to pick up victories this year.

“I feel like we have so many new players who are just competitive, they just want to win,” Webber said. “They know it is not acceptable to not make the postseason, I think they have that in their heads.”