Loaded with returners, ‘antsy’ Trevians roll to opening victory

Practice makes perfect, and New Trier volleyball has had a lot of practice time to start the 2026 season.

Maybe that’s why the Trevians looked surgical in their 25-11, 25-14 dismantling of visiting Prospect in their season opener on Monday, Aug. 31, in Winnetka.

New Trier coach Hannah Hsieh said scheduling conflicts pushed the Trevs’ opener was later than usual, and by Monday, they were ready to get on the court.

“We were really excited to play the first game, just to play. It’s been a lot of practices,” New Trier coach Hannah Hsieh said, later adding, “We just wanted to know how we looked against other teams. We’re proud of this start. Obviously we’re still starting and have a lot of stuff to work on, but this is a veteran team.”

New Trier returns a balanced and experienced core featuring numerous players who were part of a supersectional lineup a year ago.

Hsieh pointed out that her senior class includes two outside hitters (Kate Andersons, Serena Bauer), two middles (Mia Fitzpatrick, Charlie Cohen), two setters (Sophia Farina, Nora Murdock) and two defensive specialists (libero Delaney Maher, Anna Yoder) who contributed in previous seasons.

Juniors like Ciara Farrell and Harper Payne also figure to pitch in to a team with high hopes following three straight supersectional (final eight) appearances in IHSA Class 4A.

“Just the fact that they know what they want and know what we need to work on and what it takes to go where they want to go — down state,” Hsieh said of the benefits of experience. “We have that experience back, so hopefully the jitters won’t be there as much.

“We have lots of options that will hopefully keep opponents guessing a little bit and we have a lot of different firepower from all over the place, and that’s nice.”

Prospect was the unfortunate witness to that firepower on Monday evening.

Though a close first set early, the Trevians scored 13 straight points with Murdock behind the service line to surge to a 23-9 advantage, eventually winning the set 25-11.

Andersons had 4 kills and Murdock 3 aces during the spurt.

“I think we were just minimizing our errors and playing smoothly,” Andersons said. “Our setters served very well (today). We got on some great serving runs.”

Andersons finished with a match-high 8 kills. The senior outside hitter said the team was more than ready for the opener.

“We were so excited to play with each other because we have such a strong team this year and we’re super excited to start the season and actually play games,” she said, hinting at the unusually late state date. “We were antsy. We were so excited.” 

The momentum carried over to the second set; though, it took a bit to reappear.

The Knights actually grabbed a 10-6 advantage before the Trevians came back to life. From there, the hosts used a 14-2 run to take control of the final set.

Andersons had 3 kills in the set and Farrell and Cohen 2 apiece to aid New Trier’s 25-14 triumph.

Farrell finished with 6 kills, Cohen 3, and Bauer and Fitzpatrick 2 each. The Trevians also racked up 5 blocks for points.

New Trier moves on to host the Summer’s End Tournament this weekend, Friday-Saturday, Sept. 4-5, in Winnetka. And then it gets a bit of a break before opening Central Suburban League South play on Sept. 14 against Maine South.

With an experienced and game-ready roster — not just lineup — in tow, Hsieh and company recognize that at any given time the Trevians bench will be filled with talent. This dynamic led this year’s team to adopt the motto “We>Me.”

Hseih said to be the best versions of themselves, the Trevians need to believe in each other and that different moments may call for different lineups.

“There are a lot of girls who can make the case for being on the floor, but obviously there are only six who can be on the floor at the same time,” she said. “So being supportive and pushing each other to be better and knowing that if you are not able to do your job right then, someone else is ready to step in and it’s not a diss — it’s just we need to put whoever out there who can do what we need to do at that time.

“And them understanding that … they are just pushing each other and they recognize that there are lot of girls who can be on the floor.” 

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