October 30, 2025 – Story and photos by Joshua Ross
When the Hingham girls volleyball team opened the 2025 season with a 1–6 record, few could have predicted where the Harborwomen would be just a month later: winners of 11 of their final 14 matches, a 16th seed in the Division II state tournament, and set to host their first home playoff game since 2019.
It’s been, as Head Coach Natalia Maccarrone put it, “a tale of two seasons.”
On Friday afternoon, the Harborwomen (12–9) will welcome 17th-seeded Melrose to the Hingham High gym for a 5 p.m. first serve — a moment that seemed unlikely after the rocky start and a midseason coaching change. But the turnaround has been dramatic, driven by team chemistry, confidence, and a renewed belief in each other.
When Maccarrone took over midseason, she saw a talented but fragmented group. With seven seniors and a large sophomore class, the Harborwomen were still searching for their rhythm.
“I would say that they finally just connected chemistry-wise,” Maccarrone said. “In the beginning of the season, they felt a little disconnected because there was a big gap — a ton of sophomores and then mostly seniors. But once the sophomores saw that all seven seniors treated them as equals and wanted them to step into varsity roles, the confidence came. The chemistry kind of all connected into one.”
That unity became the foundation for the team’s turnaround.
“They all treat each other as if they’re the same age, in the same space, which I haven’t really ever seen,” Maccarrone added. “Some seniors lost spots to underclassmen, and there’s zero animosity. They’re just so excited to see their teammates succeed. We really do have the whole ‘we > me’ mentality.”
For senior captains Zoe Schulze and Olivia Carleton, the change went beyond lineups and rotations — it was mental.
“A lot of our younger players kind of flourished into their full potential,” Carleton said. “With Coach Maccarrone’s encouraging style, it let people play looser and more free, but still focused. It’s a good balance of fun and focus.”
Schulze agreed: “There’s a lot more trust now. Playing every day, we built confidence in each other — trusting that your teammate behind you will get the ball or that your set will be put away. It’s just that all-around trust that’s made the difference.”
That trust showed in the team’s ability to battle through adversity. Hingham has played several five-set thrillers this year — matches that they probably would not have won in previous seasons.
“Confidence is a big thing that Tal put into us when she came,” Schulze said. “You get nervous in a fifth set, but she always tells us, ‘It’s just volleyball, calm down.’ That helped us stay grounded.”
Carleton added, “We always talk about how pressure is a privilege. Having those five-set matches early taught us lessons that prepared us for the postseason.”
Heading into the state tournament, Maccarrone and her players have adopted a simple motto: “Lock in.”
“Our big goal for the tournament is staying locked in for all 25 points,” Maccarrone said. “In volleyball, you can go on a five- or six-point run and suddenly it’s tied. So we’re focusing on finishing every point strong — trusting each other, keeping energy up, and playing with pride.”
The team’s focus on consistency and chemistry has turned them into one of the state’s hottest squads over the past month and a half. Maccarrone isn’t one to dwell on records, though.
“I’m not a big record person,” she said. “You can be the underdog and beat the number one seed — it’s about who shows up that day, how much heart you have, how badly you want to win the point.”
Friday’s match will mark the Harborwomen’s first home playoff game since 2019, when they hosted Plymouth North — a milestone that means a lot to this senior group.
“It feels great,” said Schulze. “We’ve had great success at home this year, so it’s really a mindset thing for us.”
Carleton added, “It’s refreshing to have a home game. On senior night, we thought it might be our last time playing here, so having the privilege to play at home one more time is really exciting.”
For Maccarrone, the home playoff game is about more than just the seniors — it’s a boost for the entire program.
“It’s great for the program,” she said. “It gets the youth involved. I actually had a mom tell me after one game how impressed she was seeing our team cheering for an opposing player who reached 1,000 assists. That says everything about who these girls are — they care for each other and for others in the league.”
As the Harborwomen prepare for Melrose, they’re also mindful of what this season represents for the program’s growth.
“I think volleyball as a sport just keeps getting more popular, especially with the younger kids,” Carleton said. “It’s showing how much Hingham volleyball is improving — from making the Sweet 16 last year to hosting a playoff game this year. It just shows we keep getting better.”
Schulze added, “Last year we had a huge upset, but this year we’re where we should be. We’ve had two coaches, 12 seniors graduate — and we’re still here. It shows how the program’s growing. The younger kids coming up are already so good — it’s crazy to see.”
For now, though, the focus is simple: one match, one point, one play at a time.
“Our goal,” said Carleton, “is to make a run — but it starts with winning this first match.”
And if the Harborwomen’s recent run has shown anything, it’s that they’ve already proven they can rise together.