Rookie Coach Goncalo Leads Cape Tech Volleyball To 7-0 Start

HARWICH – It was just a few short years ago that Jasmine Goncalo was representing Cape Cod Tech as a member of the school’s girls volleyball team. 

 The 2021 Cape Tech graduate is back with the Crusaders, moving off the court to the sideline as the program’s first-year coach. So far, it’s been a perfect start for Goncalo and Tech, as the team improved to 3-0 following a 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-18) victory over Bristol Aggie on Monday evening.

 “I was never a coach, I was always an athlete,” said Goncalo, a Hyannis resident. “I was a part of the first graduating class in this school and volleyball is like my life, so I’m really glad to be back in this gym. I told them it’s so bittersweet to be coaching them in the gym I played my senior night in.”

 Goncalo has led volleyball clinics, but this season has been her debut as a head coach. Her familiarity with the program has made it a smooth transition, and she has been able to instantly connect with the players, many of whom she can relate to.

 “The thing I love the most is how much I can relate to them,” she said. “They are the first team I’m coaching, so I have a special place in my heart for them. I get along with them very well.”

 The players have been thrilled with Goncalo’s presence and her coaching style.

 “She’s very positive,” said senior Milowa Frias, a West Yarmouth resident. “Because she’s young, she always understands our references and us as a team in general. She knows that we have a lot going on too, so she’s really understanding. She’s a great coach.”

 Fellow senior Sarah Feliz de Jesus said the players appreciate that Goncalo considers their opinions and applies a collaborative approach to practice.

 “If we feel like we have to work on something, she’s going to help us do it,” said Feliz de Jesus, a West Yarmouth resident. “If we want to get stronger in serving, she’ll give us tips and help us get better at it.”

 Under Goncalo’s guidance, the Crusaders have been perfect. After reaching the Round of 16 in last year’s Division 5 state tournament, the team remains unbeaten and has only played five sets once — a 3-2 victory over Sturgis East on Sept. 9.

 Goncalo is quick to credit the team’s four seniors for helping to make her transition easier, though she also noted the team possesses plenty of talent that has transferred into victories. 

 At the center of the success is junior Megan Bird, the team’s setter who helps to ensure the offense is running smoothly. 

 “I’m so grateful to have her,” Goncalo said of Bird. “She’s been great since day one. She moves really quickly for a setter, which is very impressive for me.”

 Despite the dominant start, the coach wants her players to remain humble about their success.

 “I’m like, ‘Guys, we’re 7-0 but we could lose every game from here on out, so we have to stay humble,’” she said. “Going into this, I didn’t have any expectations for wins or losses, I was just in it to have fun. Now that we’re doing so great and the chance of getting into the playoffs is getting closer, I’m starting to lock in. 

“I still want to keep my expectations low, but I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing because it’s been working.”