Last season was a tough go for the Southern New Hampshire volleyball team. The Penmen finished the year at 7-21, winning just four of their 14 games against Northeast 10 Conference opponents. Southern New Hampshire missed out on the NE10 Conference Tournament, and the early end to the season wasn’t what the Penmen set out for.
This year, with strong leadership from seniors like Peabody native Carolyn Scacchi, the Penmen are looking to right their wrongs and get back into the thick of things in the conference.
Scacchi, in her fourth season on the team, transitioned to a new position at middle hitter this fall. Aside from learning the ins and outs of her new position, the former Tanner came into the season hungry for a shot at redemption in the NE10.
“Last season we didn’t make the tournament and we had a pretty down year,” Scacchi said. “This year, my goal was to become a successful middle hitter. I’ve been an outside and right-side hitter through most of my collegiate career. My goal was to play well at the middle hitter position and help bring our team to the tournament.”
Scacchi joined the Division II Penmen after a successful career at Peabody High. A four-year varsity player for Tanners coach Lisa Keene, Scacchi finished her high school career with 755 digs, 733 kills, 174 blocks and 86 aces. She also played on the Tanners girls basketball team and was a four-time Northeastern Conference All-Star in both sports.
“I remember almost going undefeated in volleyball my senior year,” Scacchi, a 2014 Peabody High graduate, said. “We only lost our first game and then we won out into the state tournament. I remember the desire and the will to win. It was a great team to play for.”
Looking to continue her volleyball career at the collegiate level, Scacchi sought the help of Peabody coach Keene in finding her route to the next stage. In the end, Southern New Hampshire was the right fit.
“Coach Keene really helped me reach out to colleges when I was looking for schools,” Scacchi said. “She’s the one that reached out to Southern New Hampshire. She taught me everything I know about volleyball and really helped me get to where I am today.”
Now in her senior season at Southern New Hampshire, Scacchi and the Penmen are off to a vastly improved season compared to where they were a year ago. The Penmen are 8-12 on the year, 4-7 in conference play, with three matches to go.
Scacchi credited a coaching change, as well a boost in team chemistry, as the two leading forces for the Penmen’s improvements this fall.
“This year, we have a brand new coach,” Scacchi said. “Coach (Dega) da Gama’s really challenging us to do our best. We’re really coming together as a unit and pushing one another to succeed. By pushing ourselves individually, we’re becoming better as a unit. We’re a happier team, we’re having more fun and we’re having a great season.”
Scacchi also noted that the team has been focused on making improvements from match to match since the season started. She acknowledged the team’s drive to improve as it’s biggest strength.
“We have pretty talented hitters on our team that can put the ball down like nobody else,” Scacchi said. “Our biggest strength is that we know we have room for improvement and we’ve been focusing on that since our first game. Our chemistry and our performance levels have shown that.”
On the academic side, Scacchi’s placed herself ahead of the game. The Peabody native completed her undergraduate studies in the spring, graduating with a degree in business administration with a minor in applied mathematics. Now she’s studying for a master’s in corporate finance.
“Balancing academics with volleyball was was tough but I like to be busy and I like to challenge myself,” Scacchi said. “I really set out to get my master’s in four years so I’m glad I took the opportunity to do it.”
But first thing’s first, as Scacchi still has goals to reach on the volleyball court. Ending her collegiate career with a run in the NE10 tournament, Scacchi said, would provide an ideal memory when she looks back at her senior year.
“That would mean the world to me,” Scacchi said. “We had a rough year last season. Ending this season with a tournament appearance, especially with a new coach and this group of girls, would be unbelievable. We made it my freshman and sophomore seasons. To stick to our goal from the beginning of the season, and actually achieve it, would be wonderful.”
The Penmen, 2.5 games behind Stonehill for the final seed in the conference tournament, are hoping for wins in all three of their final matches. The quest tips off tonight when Southern New Hampshire visits Merrimack.
“As a team, we won’t back down,” Scacchi said. “We’re not really concerned with past performances or records from past seasons. Regardless of who we play and regardless of what their record is, we’re coming to play.”
