GCDS Volleyball Team Wins NEPSAC Championship

Greenwich Country Day School’s (GCDS) Girls Volleyball team won the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Championship on Nov. 17, decisively defeating Rivers School 3-0 in the championship game at Taft School in Watertown, CT. This is GCDS’s first NEPSAC championship since it became a high school in 2019. 

The team, led by captains Willa Ball ’25 and Cara Lehmitz ’26 and coached by Morgan Withrow, also won the Clyfe Beckwith Sportsmanship Award, voted on by all the NEPSAC coaches. 

“Not only did the team win a championship, but they did so with sportsmanship, kindness, character, and grace,” said Tim Helstein, Director of Athletics. “We are the only school that won both the Clyfe Beckwith Sportsmanship Award and the NEPSAC Championship.”

Volleyball at GCDS is a relatively new sport. Six years ago, a Middle School team was founded by Coach Withrow. A varsity team wasn't even created until the fall of 2022. In just three seasons, Coach Withrow and her staff brought the team from infancy to the top of NEPSAC. 

“The culmination of our win on Sunday was the product of six years of grinding, speaking up to earn respect as a brand new sport, and teaching players and families how to become part of this community on and off the court,” said Coach Withrow. “The accountability and expectations for my athletes is high and while the path wasn't always easy they can now rest easy knowing that they are champions.” 

Volleyball is now the largest girls' athletic program at GCDS, with four Middle School teams, three Upper School teams with 115 girls participating between 6th-12th grades, including only one senior.   

Sophomore Middle Blocker Anna Hill and Junior Opposite Chloe Sneddon earn a block for the Tigers.

Junior Libero #1, Caroline Cabrera had 17 digs to assist the win.

Junior Captain Cara Lehmitz #28 hit for a match high 12 kills versus #2 seed Rivers School.

Freshman setter Ryan Milim #22 set up Outside Hitter Grace Gapen for a kill.