St. Vincent Ferrer has a pretty good handle on Manhattan. The Falcons girls volleyball team has won the CHSAA Manhattan division the last three years and has dominated the borough for close to a decade.
Now Ferrer is trying to expand its horizons. On Sunday, the Falcons compete in pool play at the New York Archdiocesan playoffs at Sacred Heart in Westchester. Historically, teams from Manhattan don’t fare well against competition from The Bronx or Staten Island – a stereotype Ferrer coach Kelli Ann Murphy is trying to bust.
“This year will be different,” she said. “The team’s more mature. It has better talent and it works better together.”
The Falcons are made up of a strong group of interchangeable parts. Lorraine McClellan, the team’s senior leader, leads the way in her ability to play just about anywhere on the court – from setter to hitter to back row.
“She does it all,” Murphy said.
Sophomore Katie Brosnan is an up-and-coming star while junior Samantha Nugent is consistently solid. Ferrer’s secret weapon, though, is 6-foot junior Jasmine Boone, a lean and lanky athlete who Murphy thinks could be a scholarship player at the next level. Boone plays her club ball with the Starlings.
“She’s definitely a Division I prospect,” the coach said.
The Falcons, though talented, are dedicated also. Murphy describes her team as a group of players with a lot of school spirit – and not just for volleyball either. They’re all involved with other ventures outside the team.
“The girls seem very tight-knit,” Murphy said. “They seem to enjoy all aspects of athletics.”
Ferrer hasn’t lost a league match since falling to Cathedral last year. The Falcons have long been the gold standard for CHSAA girls volleyball in Manhattan. This group is following that legacy well.
“They seem to really take pride in that,” Murphy said.
Except for one thing: the team’s performances in the postseason against squads from The Bronx and Staten Island. Saturday marks this group’s chance to change that pattern.
“The tradition has been passed on,” Murphy said. “We hope this year it’s different.”