This was not your average volleyball game.   

At this year’s Homecoming event, on Friday, October 7th, alongside one of the largest crowd turnouts of the season, the RE Girls’ JV and Varsity volleyball teams both achieved victory. The crowd, decked out in pink to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month, was alive and exuberant. While this may have been in part due to the array of pink-themed desserts laid out in front of the gym entrance, the gradually accumulating spirit driven by homecoming week drew students and faculty to stay after school in support of their teams. That night, swimming, volleyball, and football played home games, Rock 4 Relief played a set on the pool deck, and food trucks parked outside of the gym all contributed to a lively night.   

This year’s homecoming games were put on in conjunction with Dig Pink, a national breast cancer awareness volleyball event that has been a longstanding tradition for all RE fall sports teams. Both the MS and US volleyball teams go all out every year to hold bake sales and spirit days to raise money for breast cancer research. Other teams, like football and swimming, wear special pink uniforms.    

“Dig Pink is incredibly important to my family,” Lisa Sayfie ’91 explained in a video played at the breast cancer awareness assembly that Tuesday. An RE alum, former volleyball player, and breast cancer survivor, Sayfie applauded RE for participating in fundraising for the cause, as it is “imperative to saving more lives”.  

The crowd’s energy that night paid off. The Girls’ Varsity team dominated La Salle, winning their first 3 sets effortlessly. “It was really incredible how supportive the crowd was, and it definitely motivated our team to do better,” said Carli Bogle ’24.  

Not only that: they never trailed throughout the entire game. The confidence exuded by RE signaled a victory from the start, as they kept their spirits and chants going even when they lost a point.  

Fans sitting in the front row could read the lips of many RE players as they said, “Good job” or “Nice try.” When Addison Pollock ’25 jogged onto the court, she made sure to high-five her teammates before the set started. It was obvious that the team’s bond ensured a deep level of trust on the court. This support for one another played a major factor in their win.   

By the end of the second set, there was no doubt in the crowd’s mind that the game was already over, and by that point, it was just a matter of bringing it home. With a winning ace, Lucy Fitzpatrick ’23 brought an end to the game, and immediately the rest of the girls ran onto the court to embrace their fellow teammates.  

While the success of the game was a team effort, many players stood out in the win vs. La Salle. Julia Lewkowitz ’25, an outside hitter, achieved 13 kills, seven digs, and two aces.    

Girls’ Varsity finished with a 15-11 record for the season.