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| Great turnout of alumnae and current students for Chesed Volleyball Tournament |
Set – Spike! “I got it!” “Mine, mine!” For many in the YoF HS Gym on Sunday afternoon, these are things they haven’t heard for quite some time. But for four hours, former players took to the court alongside members of the 2014-15 Flatbush Falcons JV and Varsity Girls Volleyball teams – and some of their fellow classmates – to relive memories, reconnect with the Flatbush community while at the same time raising funds for our soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. The proceeds from the event are earmarked specifically for “Thank Israeli Soldiers,” an organization that provides support to the soldiers of the IDF, particularly many of the lone soldiers with no family on the ground in Israel.
Coaches Evelyn Shterenzer and Lauren Zalta organized all the attendees into teams, and set up matchups throughout the afternoon. The highlight for many was provided by the return of two squads of alumnae who battled both each other as well as teams made up of members of the present varsity roster.
Feedback from the alumnae was extremely positive. “This was so much fun!” remarked Sally Shatzkes (HS ’99 and current faculty member), who attended with her young children in tow. “For me, volleyball [and other extra-curricular activities] was such a big part of my Flatbush experience. We should do something like this more often!”
Similarly, the students and players in attendance were equally excited about the event. “It was so cool! And I like that it was before the start of the regular season,” noted Rochelle Tawil, co-captain of the present Varsity squad. “Now we have more of an idea of what we need to work on for the season. This was awesome!”
When it came time for the playoffs of the day’s contests, play finally got serious. The crowd was focused on each point, and cheers erupted at the end of each play.
Perhaps inspired by the return of so many alumnae, and seeing their passion for the game still present years after having departed Flatbush, Co-Captain Rebbeca Zami lobbied for added practice time during the season. You can bet that team will get more than just their regular Tuesday slot to train for the season going forward.
Nest Notes:
Both the Girls JV and Varsity Volleyball teams will practice twice between Rosh Hashannah and the Sukkot holiday break. During that time, the MYHSAL schedule will be finalized, and the teams are looking forward to their first tastes of competition towards the end of October.
