By By Michael M. McMahon Sentinel Staff,Michael McMahon

Copyright keenesentinel

PETERBOROUGH — For the past three years, it’s been up, up and away for the ConVal volleyball program.

The Cougars have ascended up the Division II ranks. Expectations have risen with each season, and now, ConVal is amongst a handful of favorites to contend for a state championship.

ConVal’s four seniors, including captains Ivy Armstrong-McEvoy and Zadie Marshall, have helped raise the program’s profile over their careers. Entering their senior season, the group already has been a part of several program benchmarks, rewriting record books and notching program bests.

Every year, the goal has been to go further than the year before. Last season was the first time this senior group failed to reach that goal — bowing out in the opening round of the D-II tournament.

Expectations are no different this season. If anything, the Cougars say they are more fueled than ever to get where they want to go. This is the seniors’ the last go at leaving the ultimate mark — winning a state title — on a program they have helped put on the map.

“Every year for us, we’ve come in saying this could be the year we take it,” Armstrong-McEvoy said. “But this year it actually feels like we could take it all the way and everyone on the team is super motivated.”

So far, the motivation has shown on the court. A 3-0 win over Fall Mountain on Wednesday pushed the Cougars to 4-0, with three-set sweeps in all four matches.

It’s not their goal to run the table, but now more than ever the Cougars are allowing themselves to think about the big-picture of the season.

“Personally, I’d love to get something up on the wall over there,” Marshall said Wednesday. She was nodding to the blank space in the corner of the ConVal gymnasium where a state championship banner would hang.

“I think we can do it,” Marshall said. “We just have to work hard and play hard and make sure we don’t lose ourselves or lose sight of what we want.”

While expectations remain the same, perhaps heightened even, this season also brought change. The Cougars have a new head coach in Annie Keating. Keating, who teaches mathematics at South Meadow School in Peterborough, coached the middle school team before stepping up to the high school ranks. She also taught many of the Cougars who came up through South Meadow in class.

“I was a fan turned coach,” said Keating, who said she has followed the team closely over the years while coaching at the middle school.

“To go from the bleachers to the sidelines with them is just an absolute privilege,” Keating said. “They have big goals and I am doing what I can to help them achieve those goals.”

Keating, who had assistant coach Jessica Weeks remain on staff from previous seasons, also has de facto coaches on the floor in her seniors. Armstrong-McEvoy, Marshall and Ashlynn Williams have been on the floor for nearly every point over the last three seasons on varsity. Makayla Durgin, the team’s fourth senior, also has been in the program for four years.

There’s plenty of returning experience around the seniors, as well, including setter Ava Van Horn and libero Lila Grissett. The entire varsity roster consists of juniors and seniors. That experience has led to a lot of trust between the players, and between the coach and the team.

Most of the in-game coaching is done between the players.

“The most I usually tell them from the sidelines is to keep it calm and take a deep breath,” Keating said. “I’m fortunate to take on a team in my first season that I can trust so much.”

Where Keating has made her mark is in practice, where the Cougars say they are watching more film to help with on-court communication.

“I like to think I’m a collaborative coach,” Keating said. “The girls are all so smart. I wouldn’t be doing my best if I wasn’t listening to them and collaborating with them. It’s just a great environment.”

The Cougars are hoping the good times help them roll into the brunt of their schedule, with difficult road matches at Oyster River and Somersworth on the horizon.

“Everyone has a good vibe on the team, there’s no negative energy,” Armstrong-McEvoy said. “Everyone is there for each other and we trust each other, which is probably the most important thing.”

There is a lot of season left between now and the beginning of the state tournament at the end of October. With the end goal so clear in mind, Keating said the Cougars will be tasked with slowing things down.

“We try not to get too far into the future, though we definitely have that angle in mind,” Keating said. “For now, it’s about trying to keep it one game at a time.”