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# Hollis Brookline, Windham girls volleyball picking up where they left off
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/hollis-brookline-windham-girls-volleyball-picking-left-off/
- Published: 2017-09-15T15:00:39.000Z
- Updated: 2017-09-15T15:00:39.000Z
- Description: Maddie Norris has been a part of the Hollis Brookline High School girls volleyball team long enough to know that, while every team is different, the Cavaliers' expectations remain the same. That's what happens when you are part of a junior class that has already won back-to-back Division I champions
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Fall Sports, Division I, Division II, girls volleyball, Hollis Brookline, slider, Windham, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

Maddie Norris has been a part of the Hollis Brookline High School girls volleyball team long enough to know that, while every team is different, the Cavaliers' expectations remain the same.

That's what happens when you are part of a junior class that has already won back-to-back Division I championships.

"We always have a new vibe with the team," Norris said. "We came back with high expectations. There’s still stuff we need to work on, like with any other team, but so far it’s been really good. We go into practice with goals for each day. What do we want to accomplish that day and we work to accomplish those goals. We become better as a team."

On Monday night at Nashua North, the Cavs took the court with a core group of juniors who were playing in a varsity match for the 47th time over the last two-plus years. Most high school players graduate without having spent that much time on varsity, never mind as freshmen and sophomores.

"Those juniors started as freshmen," HB coach Becky Balfour said. "Elizabeth Atkinson, Maddie Norris and Kyra Belden, and Natalie Cook got called up at the end (of freshman year). This is their third year playing together here, and they played together in middle school. We have this nice group of girls who have been playing together."

That experience showed against the Titans, as HB (3-0 in Division I) was clinical in cruising to convincing wins in the first two games and had enough left to hold off North to finish the sweep. Through three matches this season, the Cavs have yet to drop a game.

"I think coming out from the first point, being loud and confident, knowing that we can play well, it helps," Belden said. "All of our preseason time, we just came out with a lot of energy and focused a ton."

The Cavs aren't the only defending champions in the state off to a great start.

Windham (4-0) has also come out perfect in defense of its Division II title, the program's second in three years.

The Jaguars opened the season with a sweep of Pelham and also took out Souhegan in three games on Wednesday, but in between, had to gut out two 3-2 wins over Gilford (2-1) and Portsmouth (3-1).

While Windham lost some key players to graduation - including reigning D2 Player of the Year Lexi Sawyer - there are plenty of girls back who contributed a year ago, including four returning starters, and a new cast ready to step up.

"It doesn’t seem like we would have a lot of new people, but we have about 50 percent new skills," Windham coach Jill Barlett said. "I think we don’t have necessarily have last year hanging over our head. It’s a new year, a new team, new people. They’re excited for it and I can’t wait to see what the next two month is going to look like for us."

Although the players loss are tough ones to replace, the Jaguars knew they'd have solid reinforcements coming for this season.

"Our JV was really strong last year, so we hit the ground running right away," senior Emily Frank said. "That’s important, especially when we want to stay strong every year. We want them to get acclimated."

Both teams have some tough tests coming up. Windham will host St. Thomas (5-0) on Sept. 22 and Oyster River (3-1) on Sept. 29, while HB hosts Spaulding (4-1) on Friday before a stretch of three straight on the road. After that, the Cavs host Bishop Guertin (4-0), Concord (5-0) and Pinkerton (4-0) in four days.