Unified Volleyball started its season Wednesday, facing Burrillville in the season opener. After several practices, it was clear Lincoln’s newly minted squad was a force to be reckoned with. The team captains met in the center of the court for the coin flip, with Lucas Parent and Yunus Wahiid representing the Lions. Lincoln would lose the opening coin flip, and the ability to serve as well, but it would turn out to barely hinder the Lions. After taking the first set 25-18, Lincoln took the second set 25-14. Due to time constraints, the third set was shortened to 15 points. However, Lincoln still prevailed, winning the third and final set by a score of 15-11. 

    Due to the first game of the season being canceled due to the opposition not having enough players, Lincoln had extra time to mesh. With several practices under their belt, the Lions won 3-0, sweeping Burrillville to keep early hopes of an undefeated season alive. The win saw Lincoln show off in all aspects of the game. Coach Beth Bedrossian pointed to practice as one of the leading factors in Lincoln’s early triumph, claiming to be “very excited” to see “all the practices [are] paying off”. Bedrossian later added she is “looking forward to the rest of the season [as there is] a lot of promise”. For the players, who practice every Tuesday after school, it was relieving to see all the hard work finally pay off.

     Following the game, Coach Bedrossian touched on the strengths of this new Lincoln squad, which was able to achieve victory for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of success, Bedrossian cited “teamwork, our serving, [and] our communication on the court”. Serving was a strong suit for the Lions, with sophomore Neveah Perrille leading the charge of Lincoln players who scored multiple aces in Tuesday’s match. Junior Aidan Gorman also recognized communication as a fundamental aspect of the game, calling it “the most important thing”. The team runs on a rotation system, where players are cycled in and out after every point. The institution of this rotation lets different pairings of athletes and helpers co-exist, creating a better environment that leads to better communication. 

     Following the glory of a 1-0 start in league play, fans are optimistic about the future of the Lions. Coach Bedrossian is a believer as well, and when asked if it was right to instill hope in this team, kept it simple. “Yes, absolutely, as long as we can serve and get the ball over the net”. For a team that appeared so fundamentally sound in the season opener, this looks like a given. As of September 22nd, Lincoln has two more home games (pending cancellation), and five more games total. The Lions face off against North Smithfield at home on October 12th (9:00 a.m.), a Wednesday day game taking place in the middle of the school day. Following an away game hosted by Ponaganset, Lincoln will conclude the season at home on October 26th (3:30 p.m.) against Smithfield High School.