Athletics Recap - August 24th to 30th

It was another full week of competition for the Gryphons, with our teams showing focus, grit, and school pride across every game and match. Here’s a look at the results from this week in ISI Athletics.

Student Athlete of the Week | Kate Daneri | Grade 7/8 Volleyball B Team
Kate delivered an impressive 10+ point serving run on Friday, helping the B Team secure a win over The Oaks Academy and bring their record to 1-1 on the season! Her strong serving and momentum-setting performance helped fuel the team’s early-season success. We can’t wait to see what’s next for this team!

8/24 | Grade 4-6 Soccer vs Traders Point Christian Academy | 0-4
ISI created plenty of chances in front of goal but couldn’t quite find the finish. Moving forward, the team will focus on converting in front of goal and improving communication across the back line.

Several players stood out with strong performances. Cameron White provided excellent communication with his fellow defenders, while Dominic Starsiak stepped into a defensive role when needed and made several impressive dribbles. Grayson Bell consistently showed great first touches, and Nandi brought incredible energy and determination to the defensive side of the game despite normally playing as a striker. Hannah Dollin controlled the midfield with confidence and skill, creating opportunities with her impressive dribbling.

8/24 | Grade 5/6 Volleyball vs Traders Point Christian Academy | 14-25, 19-25
A great game was played by the Lady Gryphons. They kept charging ahead and never gave up.

8/24 | Grade 5/6 Volleyball B Team vs Traders Point Christian Academy | 24-25, 25-23, 15-13
What a game! The score does not reflect the outstanding game they played. The players never gave up and played their absolute best so far this season. I can't wait to see what these Lady Gryphons do this season.

8/24 | Boys Varsity Tennis vs Roncalli High School | 0-5
The Gryphons fell to an experienced and talented Roncalli team. Each player fought hard, showing resilience and developing strong points throughout the match.

8/24 | Girls JV Volleyball vs Herron High School | 25-21, 25-21
JV achieved their first win of the season! It was a strong serving night for the team, with 3 aces from senior Sofia Berzal Lapuente, 4 aces each from sophomores Anabel Kim and Magdalena Aguilera, and 5 aces from freshman Somaya Radford. They improved from last week in serve receive and maintained great energy throughout the match. Congratulations Gryphons!

8/24 | Girls Varsity Volleyball vs Herron High School | 19-25, 25-22, 25-15, 11-25, 15-11
Varsity achieved their first win of the season in a thrilling 5 set match against Herron. Energy was up and down throughout the set, but the team was able to refocus for the 5th set, being the first to 5 points, then 10 points. It was a strong serving night, with numerous players going on long serving runs, serving tough and getting Herron out of system often. Kills were also well distributed, including 5 downball kills from libero Maya Kalgaonkar, and 6 kills each from Catrina Cristea and Stephanie Chen. Overall it was a great team effort, and the team was able to refocus after a messy 4th set to bring the win home in the 5th set. Congratulations to the team for their mental toughness and teamwork!

8/24 | Boys Varsity Soccer vs Traders Point Christian Academy | 9-0
After three competitive games in six days, the coaching staff used this game to give some of our younger players additional playing time. They stepped in and immediately made an impact, scoring six goals to bring the team’s total to nine while maintaining possession and controlling the game.

The coaching staff was proud of the way the entire team finished the game and continued to play with the same intensity and focus. Caden had an outstanding performance and scored his first goal of the season, while Asher controlled the midfield and added a hat trick, giving him four goals over the last two games.

8/24 | Grade 7/8 Volleyball vs Traders Point Christian Academy | 25-19, 15-25, 15-10
The 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball A Team played its second match of the season against Traders Point. The Gryphons got off to a hot start, taking the first set 25–19. Traders Point battled back with strong serving in the second set, and the Gryphons fell 15–25.

The Gryphons regrouped in the third set, gathering their composure and firing each other up to win the deciding set 15–10 and secure their first victory of the season!

8/25 | Boys Varsity Tennis vs Pike High School | 0-5
The Gryphons faced another experienced team full of talented returning players, but battled hard throughout. Potter Chen developed strategic points and put up a strong fight at No. 1 singles. Wesley Shattuck fought hard while also battling a cold on the court. Coco Waters and Beau Stableford continue to build consistency and strengthen their dynamic as a doubles team. Overall, it was a great match to learn from and build on.

8/25 | Grade 5/6 Volleyball vs Park Tudor | 21–25, 17–25
The 5/6 A Volleyball team battled Park Tudor on Tuesday, with both teams coming out strong and keeping the first set close in a back-and-forth battle. The Gryphons put forth a great team effort throughout the match, falling 21–25, 17–25.

8/25 |Grade 7/8 Volleyball vs Park Tudor | 22-25, 17-25
The 7/8th A Team competed against Park Tudor on 8/25. The Lady Gryphons gave the Panthers a tough match with their improved ball control and scrappiness. Park Tudor was able to hold steady and kept calm to defeat ISI 22-25 and 17-25. ISI has a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season after being in contention with a top  PAAC rival. The A team takes on Sycamore School at home next Tuesday Sep 1.

8/26 | Girls JV Volleyball vs Sheridan High School | 12-25, 12-25, 16-25
Short one player, we had to get creative with our lineup with people playing new positions. Sheridan was a strong all around team, with strong setting and hitters. We made a few too many service errors and struggled to put the ball away. Congratulations to Anabel Kim for stepping in to play libero for varsity and putting on a solid performance. 

8/26 | Girls Varsity Volleyball vs Sheridan High School | 4-25, 15-25
JV had a tough mental day against Sheridan on Wednesday. After a tough first set, they did a better job of resetting mentally and staying in rallies. 

8/27 | Middle School Cross Country @ Indiana School for the Deaf 
The Gryphons had a strong showing at their latest meet, with Cameron White leading the boys with a 3rd-place finish in 14:07. Sebastian Villate (7th), Max Schaefer (8th), Luca Heidari (9th), and Roman McArdle (15th) rounded out the scoring five as ISI finished second as a team with 42 points.

On the girls side, Hannah Dollin raced to an impressive 1st-place finish in 15:42, followed closely by LouLou Vetrini in 2nd at 15:51. Cecelia Hedrick also competed for the Gryphons, finishing 8th.

Congratulations to all of our runners on a great meet! We’re excited to see this team continue to grow, compete, and put in the work throughout the season.

8/27 | Girls Varsity Golf vs PAC Championship 
The Girls Golf team got their season off to a great start, with each golfer competing in the first match of her career! Lauren led the way with a 58, followed by Alessandra (67), Layla (68), and Temitope (70). We can’t wait to watch this group grow throughout the season as they continue to put in the hard work and gain valuable experience. Great start, Gryphons!

8/27 | Middle School Tennis vs Orchard School | Girls: 1-4 |  Boys: 2-3
Everyone played amazing for our first match. It was a lot of students’ first-ever tennis match, but it didn’t look like it. I was proud of how everyone played. Lucas Perrin at 1 Singles beat his opponent 8-0 in a big win to start the year for him.

8/27 | Boys Varsity Soccer vs Sheridan High School | 10-0
The ISI High School Boys Soccer Team delivered a dominant all-around performance in a 10–0 victory over Sheridan. The team was especially effective in attack, recording 28 shots with 22 on target while scoring 10 goals. What made this match particularly special was the complete team performance. ISI controlled the game from start to finish, with contributions throughout the squad and a strong defensive effort that resulted in a clean sheet. Liam Hedrick stood out for his distribution and decision-making, while Edward Chesterfield made a unique contribution by scoring two goals as a field player and also stepping in at goalkeeper. It was a confident and disciplined performance from the Gryphons and another strong step forward for the team.

8/27 | Girls JV Volleyball vs Shortridge High School | 21-25, 25-16, 15-11
JV came with a fresh mindset in their match against Shortridge after a tough loss the night before. They came out strong with serving and stayed in rallies longer, which made all the difference. Congratulations to sophomore Sophia White for 3 aces, 5 kills, and 4 digs. Anabel Kim had a great serving night, ending with 7 aces and 8 assists. Congratulations to the team for making small changes with a big impact!

8/27 | Girls Varsity Volleyball vs Shortridge High School | 28-26, 25-11, 19-25, 25-19
Returning to our normal lineup, varsity did a great job with ball placement, keeping Shortridge out of the system often with tough serves and well-placed attacks. Juniors Ana Cuevas-Faget, Maya Kalgaonkar, and Catrina Cristea went on long serving runs. Catrina ended the night with 9 kills and 2 blocks. Freshman Stephanie Chen clocked an impressive 14 kills and 6 digs. Moving forward the team will work to block out distractions that are out of our control and continue to play until the whistle. 

8/28 | Girls 5/6 Volleyball B Team vs The Oaks Academy | 0-25, 12-25

8/28 | Girls 7/8 Volleyball B Team vs The Oaks Academy | 25-17, 25-23
The 7/8 B Team defeated Oaks Academy on 8/28 to bring their record to 1-1! Strong serving throughout the entire night kept the Lady Gryphons ahead. The team takes on two PAAC teams away next week. They will play Park Tudor on Wednesday, 9/2, and Bethesda on Friday, 9/4.