The Sports Watch for Sept. 5 - 9

It's Sunday, and you know what that means. It's time for the Sports Watch, the fastest three minutes in Weston Sports coming your way right now:

Well, the ways in which the Weston High girls' volleyball team has finished record-wise the last three seasons are not so eye-popping, but the progress it made from 2008 through 2010 is very much so.

Take a look at this: In head coach Fabian Ardila's first season at the helm, the Wildcats finished 0-20. In his second season, they went 2-17. In his third year, (drumroll please), they closed at 9-11, missing the state tournament by just one win.

All of which makes this season filled with much anticipation.

"We are trending well. I intend to make it this year," Ardila said.  "Our goal is to make it into the District Tournament."

Just the notion of making the tourney is remarkable considering the Wildcats went winless just three years ago. But, during the preseason, Weston wasn't bowing to any other team in the Dual County League Small Division. The Wildcats are already focusing on competing with the top echelon teams in the DCL Large circuit.

"We really want to compete against the big schools [such as] Newton South and Westford Academy [in the DCL Large]," Ardila said. "Those are schools that I know we can really play well against and we have a very good chance at beating this year. Our biggest challenge will come at the end of the season against Lincoln-Sudbury. They are very strong and by then we should be strong enough to compete with them."

The Wildcats will be led by their three captains, senior setter Tyla Corfield, junior outside hitter Sydney Halloran, and junior libero Dani Silverstein. Corfield is the overall court captain, while Halloran and Silverstein will direct the offense and defense, respectively.

Halloran led the team in kills last season, and is "the strongest hitter Weston has ever produced so far," Ardila said. The coach, meanwhile, lauded Corfield as a "standout setter" who has shined since transferring to Weston two years ago, and noted that Silverstein, a defensive specialist, led the 16-and-under group in New England in digs in the renowned Smash Volleyball program this past summer.

Junior setter Paige Gordon and sophomore middle hitter Kacie Wrean also figure to make big impacts, after playing huge roles last fall.

"This year we have a strong experienced squad with most of the girls playing three years in the program," Ardila said.

The Wildcats will also get a boost from their other veteran players, including senior middle hitter Abigail Chan, junior middle hitter Nicolette Kombouras, junior outside hitter Catherine Cebulla, and junior defensive specialists Stefania Montenegro, Mariah Janos, Perri Keehn, Nadia Hassan, and Sophie Alphas. Montenegro is also a setter.

Weston also welcomes newcomers, junior transfer Molly Ludwig, a setter, and freshman outside hitter/setter Gabriella Ardila.

"This year is very exciting for [our team]," Coach Ardila said. "I have seen major progress from all the players. They are fit, they are athletes, and all want to give 100 percent. We are playing good volleyball and the volleyball IQ on this team is fantastic. I am very optimistic that [we] will go a long way this season." 

The Wildcats are off to a good start. They defeated Waltham at home in their season opener in straight sets, 25-21, 25-17, and 25-12.

Weston also welcomes its 2011 junior varsity team of sophomore captain Jennie Chartrand, freshman captain Emma Lucas, sophomores Jessica Szeto and Sukhmani Bharj , and freshmen Izzy Alesse, Melanie Anthony, Katie Miller, Harman Bharj, Shannon Chan, and Caitlyn Tellier.

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After an almost 20-year departure, Watertown native Mike McGrath has made his way back to Weston High, after recently being appointed as the school’s athletic director. McGrath was the Wildcats’ head baseball coach from 1991-1993. He has 14 years of baseball and hockey coaching experience, having also served as head varsity hockey coach at Natick High from 1997-2000 and at Mansfield High from 2000-2008. McGrath then became the athletic director for Randolph Public Schools, where he had worked the last three years.

During his coaching days, McGrath, 44, worked full-time in business sales, before deciding to make a career change.

“I had been working with athletic departments for a number of years,” said McGrath, who majored in sociology at Boston College. “I made a professional change. I enjoyed the atmosphere and decided this is the direction I wanted to go, and was fortunate to land back here in Weston.”

McGrath succeeds Chris Aufiero, who served as the Weston AD for three years, before departing to work in the Cambridge school system as coordinator of health and physical education.