Since 1992, no Hoban Girls Volleyball team has brought a state championship trophy back to The Castle. Head Coach James Maloof ‘89 instilled the hope of bringing home a banner when he arrived in 2022. With last year’s 24-1 record, the Knights have followed suit, going 11-0 this year.
“The most obvious goal for this team is to win a state championship,” Maloof explains. “It is a very achievable goal, especially with this group of players, and anything less is obviously going to be disappointing.”
Patti Hardman (Godzinski) ‘92, former setter and Athletic Hall of Fame member, was a four-time state champion between volleyball and softball in her time at Hoban. “There is not a magic recipe for winning a State Championship. If there was, everyone would be doing it,” Hardman describes. “Being a part of something that special takes time, patience, determination, and discipline. It is about learning something from every match and applying it to be just a little better next time.”
The team is led by their five seniors: Mary Hottinger, Ava Norfolk, Ava Norton, Skylar Schmidt, and Amber Watson. “It is the beginning of the end,” one of the team’s captains, Watson states. She is a Division 1 commit to Furman University and the team’s highest scorer, averaging about five kills per set.
Another strong offensive outlet is California University of Pennsylvania commit Norfolk, who leads the team in hitting percentage at about a whopping 0.368. “Getting to play my senior year alongside my best friends truly is one of the greatest blessings. This group of girls has had our ups and downs but we all have something in common: the love for volleyball and drive for a state ring.”
The seniors are not the only ones with outstanding statistics. Juniors Macie and Madison Mintz contribute heavily to the defensive side. Libero and captain, Macie Mintz leads the team in digs, averaging about six per set while Madison Mintz contributes greatly to serving, gaining on average at least three aces per game.
The rest of the key players include freshman Hope Sherman, sophomore Daniella Coffman, juniors Kathleen Jones, Madeline Olack, and Kalie Watson. Maloof expressed, “This is a really unique group of players and that makes the state championship reachable.”
“We are a team, all 12 players are important,” he went on to say. “That is what makes us stand out, a group of players that have good IQ, athleticism, and actually work well together. That is exactly what a State Championship team is made out of.”
The unity on and off the court adds to the success of this team. “The reason we are so successful is because we take the ‘We’ over ‘Me’ very seriously and using that on the court is very important for us,” Watson remarks.
“The key was also in the environment,” Hardman reminisces. “It was about building a positive culture of winning. We worked, we believed, the community believed… we won! Build it!”
With it being the team’s third year with Coach Maloof, the Knights are falling into a system that works well. The environment at games constantly pushes the girls to bring home a win. The Knights will return to Barry Gymnasium on September 26th as they face the Louisville Leopards to honor their five seniors on Senior Knight. Show up and show out for the girls as they look to continue their success, striving to end the drought.
