You can learn a lot about the volleyball team by looking at its roster. The names are familiar. But there’s something else that’s noteworthy. The team includes five seniors, five juniors, five sophomores and a freshman. All of them will get some playing time, which is how Cornwall overcomes the effect of graduation. Coach Jeff Moulton is able to start each new season with a nucleus of experienced players. His teams have won eight consecutive section titles.
The coach is happy to see Minisink added to the Dragons’ list of league rivals. Last year, the teams met for a non-league match in Minisink that went the distance. It didn’t affect the league standings, but the Dragons were still happy to go home with a five-set victory.
The local girls do well in long matches, because they concentrate on conditioning. This year is no exception. The coach has several players who can run a mile in close to six minutes. He jokes that if they keep improving they may be tempted to try cross country. The Dragons may need endurance, because they’ll be facing Minisink twice during the regular season. The competition should help them prepare for the Section A playoffs, which will also include newcomer FDR (formerly a Class AA team) and Wallkill (last year’s runner-up).
Goshen and Port Jervis are still in the Dragons’ league, but those teams will move down to Class B for the playoffs.
In addition to their scheduled games, the volleyballers will play in weekend tournaments, where they’ll see some of the best teams in the state. The girls’ first tournament is at Minisink on Sept. 7.
