Penguin Playbook 10/20

It’s playoff time! All of SWW’s fall athletic teams will kick off DCIAA playoffs this week.

Boys Soccer

The boys put up another strong few weeks, going 3-2-1. All 3 of those wins came in the DCIAA, moving them up to 5th in the DCIAA and clinching a berth to the playoffs. The Penguins secured a key in-conference 1-0 victory over Cardozo on Monday, September 30th, with striker Graham McMorris (‘25) scoring the sole goal. Nolan Smith (‘27) recorded the clean sheet against Cardozo, as he has continued to flourish in goal as a mid-year addition for the Penguins. The team impressed in the first half of a 10/9 match against Coolidge, who are undefeated in the DCIAA this season, with the Penguins holding the game knotted at 0-0 late into the first half. Though the game ended up as a blowout loss, the team showed their ability to compete with the best in the DCIAA, a promising sign going into playoffs. Before the game, left wing Ereftu Patel (‘25) said that realizing that “every game matters because they all count for playoffs” has been a key to the team’s recent success. 

The Penguins will start their hopeful playoff run on Monday, October 21 as the #5 seed facing the #4 seed Roosevelt. The game will be played at Roosevelt and begin at 5:30 PM. The boys will be looking for revenge against the Rough Riders, who they lost to 4-2 in early September towards the beginning of the season. If the Penguins win, they will face the winner of Coolidge vs. Macarthur in the semifinals on Monday, October 28.

Nolan Smith (‘27) makes a diving save against Coolidge on October 9th.

Girls Soccer

The girls went 4-3-1 over the last 3 weeks, making them 8-6-1 on the season. The girls' wins were all fairly uncontested blowouts against DCIAA opponents. The girls struggled out of conference as they faced some of the best squads in the DMV. The games included a tough 3-0 loss to Sidwell Friends, who have become a rival of the Penguins after the girls defeated Sidwell on their homecoming back in 2021 - one of the girls’ best wins in recent years. The girls finished the regular season with a very solid 2-2 tie against a skilled Episcopal team, with Kylie Emanuel (‘25) and Nadia Lytle (‘25) both finding the back of the net. Lytle now has a ridiculous 18 goals through 15 games, making her 2nd in DC in goals, according to MaxPreps. 

The Penguins cruised into the #2 seed in the DCIAA playoffs and all signs point towards the girls cruising into the championship game. Thanks to goalies Campbell Tiller (‘26) and Audrey Hayes (‘27), the team hasn’t allowed a single in-conference goal since their DCIAA opener against Jackson-Reed. If the Penguins make it to the championship, they will mostly likely face #1 seed Jackson-Reed. Last year, the Penguins made history by ending a 13-year streak of Jackson-Reed taking home the girls soccer championship with a thrilling 1-0 victory. The Penguins would still come into a championship rematch with the Tigers as an underdog though, as they lost to Jackson-Reed 4-2 in early September. The key for the Penguins will be finding a way to tame the Tiger defense. If Walls can hold Jackson-Reed to 1 or 2 goals, they will have a great chance at repeating as DCIAA champions.

The girls will play Cardozo at 4:00 PM on Monday, October 21st at Cardozo in the quarterfinals. The possible championship game will be played at 4:00 PM at Dunbar on Wednesday, October 30th.

Nadia Lytle (‘25) dribbles away from defenders for what would be a goal against Coolidge on October 9th.

Volleyball

The volleyball team has continued to enjoy an incredible season. Over the past three weeks, the Penguins went 7-2. 6 of the victories in that period came in the DCIAA, with the one out of conference victory: a 3-0 win over Model Secondary School for the Deaf. The team played a great match against Sidwell Friends, taking the Foxes to 5 sets but ultimately losing 3-2. Unlike the soccer teams, the volleyball team is not quite yet done with the regular season. The Penguins will wrap up their regular season with a big matchup at Maret on Wednesday, October 23rd. DCIAA playoffs will start the following day. 

The Penguins’ 13-1 in-conference record has already clinched their spot as the #2 seed in the DCIAA playoffs. Like the girls soccer team, the volleyball team will most likely face Jackson-Reed in the championship. And like the girls soccer team, the volleyball squad dropped their match against the Tigers earlier in the season. Unlike the girls soccer team though, the SWW volleyball team are not reigning champions. Jackson-Reed has won the DCIAA title many years in a row and hasn't lost to Walls in some time. But if there was a year for the Penguins to get over the hump and beat the Tigers, it feels like this is the one. The squad’s 21-4-1 record makes them one of the winningest volleyball teams in school history. 6 of the top 10 players in serving aces in DC are on the Penguin team. They have great depth, with the majority of their varsity players being key contributors. The time to take the title is now.

The championship will likely be sometime the week of October 28th, though the exact date and time are not known yet.

Kate Parker (‘28) and Natalie Broquard (‘25) jump up for a block in a match in the MSSD Invitational Tournament on 9/21. (credit: SIC)