Sadly, this past week marked the end of an amazing Forest Hills Eastern Girls volleyball season. With a successful end to the regular season, the FHE squad was given a first-round bye week and was set to play against Comstock Park. They dominated the competition, winning in straight sets, with the closest being the second with a score of 25-17. With that win, they moved to the district final against Ionia, which was a close bout, but of course, Eastern came out on top in a 3-1 final with close sets in the first and third sets, but complete domination in the second and fourth. After the first district championship since 2022, they looked to the regional round to continue their Cinderella run. They looked for the decisive win and hosted Ionia for their first playoff game of the season at home, but in a devastating turn of events in which the girls gave all they could, they came up short in the match and lost 3-1. With the season at its conclusion, it’s time to review some of the best moments from the season chosen by Captains Layna Waselewsky (’25), Adelee Kaiton (’25), and Emily Wolter (’27).
Senior Libero Layna Waselewsky claims one of her favorite memories is when the team became ranked after their match against #9 Lakewood in Division 2. She says that the team came in more mentally and physically ready than their opponent and got a big win, leading to FHE volleyball being ranked #7, the highest the program has ever been. Her other favorite is the revenge game against Lowell. Waselewsky attended Lowell for her freshman year before transferring back to FHE, so they had bad blood and she was hungry for the win. She got what she wanted as they won in straight sets against Lowell, gaining her revenge.
Senior Adelee Kaiton spoke about how proud she was of her team. She mentioned how low the outside expectations were going into the season for them and how they defied them and went on a deep playoff run. She was happy with how far they made it and said “I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone but my teammates.” Her favorite games included both district games, as the team was not often in the playoffs, and winning high-tension games in front of big crowds was rewarding.
Captain Emily Wolter said that her favorite memories were in the locker rooms after big games. She said the the rowdiness and connectivity with the team made them all closer as a unit and it translated into games. Cohesion and togetherness are the pillars of success for FHE as they work together as a unit instead of a group of individuals. Wolter said that the dancing, music, and overall comradery are the reasons she loved the locker room after wins.
It’s a shame that this stunning Forest Hills Eastern volleyball team couldn’t go further, but it will live on in history as one of the best squads to grace FHE’s court.
