The Vixens are yet again victorious, giving the Stuyvesant girls’ volleyball team a solid record of 7-0. After taking down the Norman Thomas Tigers in straight sets on Friday, October 14, they remain undefeated with just five games remaining in the season.

The Vixens won the first set, 25-8, and then the second, 25-12. Junior Natalie Kozlova led the team to victory with an astounding nine aces, eight kills, and two blocks.

“If Natalie keeps up her serve, we have a good chance in playoffs,” junior Xanthe Gallate said.

Senior and co-captain Melissa Chin starred defensively with three blocks and four kills, complementing senior Ana Slade, who had four aces.

Co-captain and senior Lisa Qui started at setter, and set up some pivotal points with 10 assists. Since transitioning to the setter position, Qui has had 80 assists. Her versatility makes her an important asset to the team.

The Vixens’ defense, a concern early in the season, held Norman Thomas to only 20 total points, one service point and five kills. The Vixens also had three memorable blocks, two by Kozlova and one by Slade. Early in the match, in a seemingly never-ending rally, Kozlova ended the point by jumping and blocking an attempted kill to secure an early lead.

Not to be forgotten, the Vixens’ offense also managed a total of 16 aces, 11 assists, and 13 kills. Scoring fast, with lots of points on serve, the game flew by.

“I think we played well overall,” Kozlova said. “We have to remember to play defense before we play offense.”

Coming up with 10 digs, and more importantly, a few on serves, the Vixens’ defense performed as expected. “The match wasn’t very challenging. All that mattered was service reception,” junior Marta Poplawski said.

After a strong appearance against Norman Thomas, the Vixens have high hopes for the rest of the season. With strong offensive and defensive performances, they plan to retain their undefeated record for the rest of the season.