Middleburgh Volleyball Rebuilds at JV Level, Lays Foundation for Future

MIDDLEBURGH – After several seasons of struggling to compete at the varsity level, the Middleburgh Central School girls' volleyball program has made a strategic shift, fielding a junior varsity team for the 2025 season in an effort to rebuild and foster player development.

The move comes after years of low participation numbers, which made it difficult for the standalone MCS program to compete against larger or merged teams. The varsity team managed only a single victory last season.

The seeds of the program's turnaround were planted two years ago when modified coach Alex Johnson started a summer program to help players build fundamental skills. Following discussions at the end of the 2024 season, the athletic department made the decision to focus on the junior varsity level for the current year. The move allows a young roster to gain valuable experience and compete more effectively.

The team is notably young, with no seniors on the roster, a situation solidified after the team's one potential senior was sidelined with a torn ACL before the season began.

Taylor Foland has stepped in to coach the junior varsity squad, bringing continuity and skill to the program after assisting Johnson with the modified team last year and helping with the summer skills program.

School officials report that the strategy is already showing positive results, as the team is now competitive at the junior varsity level, building a foundation of skills and confidence intended to pave the way for a successful return to varsity competition in the coming years.

Special thanks to Renee Schmidt for the information.