Article by Phoenix writer Justin McKenzie ’24:
In sports, streaks can be like catching lightning in a bottle. It’s challenging to win a game and it’s an entirely different game trying to maintain success. Teams have to work together like a well-oiled machine. It takes a special mindset to perform at a high level for an extended period.
The Lady Firebird Varsity Basketball team went on a five-game win streak to send them into the playoffs over February Break.
During their five game run, they beat the Titans of Holy Trinity, the Cougars of St. John the Baptist, the Tigers of Maria Regina, the Bayhawks of St. Dominic, and the Titans once more to finish off their wins.
Shooting Guard Kat Schencman ‘24 and Point Guard Jess Paprocky ‘24 switched positions going into the streak which ignited the fire in the Lady Firebird offense.
When asked about what led up to all the triumphant wins, Senior Kat Schencman explained, “We had a team meeting before the streak and we realized, if we win the next 5 games, we’ll have a shot at having a good playoff seed. We had a tough matchup against St. John the Baptist; but once we won that game, we started to get more comfortable.”
The team started gaining momentum, winning game after game by playing incredibly.
When asked what changed within the team, Schencman proudly stated, “Everything just flowed, and the energy was good. It was fun because we proved to ourselves just how good we can actually be.”
“We hate losing more than we love winning,” Shencman emphasized. “So that motivated us to work harder. It paid off with every win, and after every game we were so hyped in the locker room.”
The Lady Firebird Basketball team isn’t the only team at Kellenberg familiar with winning streaks. The Lady Firebird Varsity Volleyball team has been at the top of the NSCHSAA standings for three seasons. The team’s record is 47-1 from 2021 to 2023. Their longest winning streak is 33 games straight through 2 seasons of undefeated play in ‘21 and ‘22 which ended in a loss in 5th set in overtime by two points.
Volleyball Coach VonSchoenermarck takes a different approach than the basketball team when it comes to winning streaks.
“We never talk about the streak because we don’t want to put the cart before the horse,” she firmly stated. “You can’t worry about the record. Only time I mention it is at the awards banquet. We don’t change our effort no matter if we win or lose. The only thing that changes is the particular strategy against the teams we play against. We don’t talk about the championship, we talk about the habits because with championship habits, the outcome takes care of itself.”
Being a part of a Varsity level team takes courage and strength. It’s never easy going against the toughest teams across the island, but as the Firebirds have exemplified, they were able to overcome the challenges working together. The Girls Varsity Basketball team displayed great teamwork this season, and their faith in each other is what helped them strive to the top.
