As a senior and striker on the Boys Soccer Team, Steven Gifford has propelled the team to a record of 5-4-1 and has 11 goals on the season. 

Gifford is determined to keep pushing himself—not only for himself but for the team as well. 

“I’ve been looking to grow as a leader for this team and make sure everyone is always in the right mindset for games, practices, and outside of school,” Gifford said. “I’m here to help my team out to the best of my ability.” 

Right when Gifford stepped foot into Pascack Valley, he was thrown into the fire. Gifford has been a varsity athlete since freshman year.

“[As a freshman,] I became friends with a lot of the senior class, and it was seriously an awesome experience for me,” Gifford said. “Also, getting to experience some varsity minutes as a freshman was a big factor in my career as a soccer player.”

Coach Luciano Cofrancesco and Gifford have a great relationship on and off the field. Cofrancesco has nothing but praise when talking about his senior captain.

“He does it by example,” Cofrancesco said. “He is the first to grab the balls, hold himself accountable, and pick up the other guys when they make a mistake. He has been through it with the guys before him and seen what good leadership looks like,” .

Gifford has been around soccer his entire life, as he got into soccer at the age of four. His favorite team is Manchester United, and his favorite player is Bruno Fernandes.

Throughout Gifford’s highschool soccer career there has been one memory that has a special place in his heart: the State Sectional Final his freshman year.

“We were down 0-1 with 45 seconds left in the game, and we scored to tie it. Then we went into overtime and won the game for the championship,” Gifford said.

Gifford’s pregame ritual includes stretching on his own, hydrating the night before, and listening to music to get into the right mindset. His pregame superstition—slipping a piece of turf inside his cleat—remains a constant.

As Gifford considers his future, he remains undecided but is actively involved in the recruiting process. “If the opportunity arises to play soccer at the next level, I will definitely take it,” Gifford said.

Jillian Feeley, a senior on the Girls Volleyball Team, has always had a great mindset on the court. This season, that mindset has helped her team reach its 8-4 record.

“My favorite thing about volleyball is how it’s all about mentality and using your anger to better your skills,” Feeley said. 

Coach Kaitlin Mac Iver talked at length about what Feeley brings to the team. 

“Jillian contributes so much to the team,” Mac Iver said. “She is an offensive weapon that is dependable, resilient, and a true competitor. Jill knows what it takes to compete at a high level and works hard to bring others up around her.” 

The success of both Feeley and the team can also be attributed to her great relationship with Coach Mac Iver. 

“I met Jillian last year in my first year as the varsity coach at PV,” Mac Iver said. “From the moment I met her, I knew she was going to be a special athlete. Her competitive spirit and abilities made me look to her even as a floor captain during her junior year.”  

Feeley has a superstition: she always tucks in both sides of her jersey and goes to PV Athletic Trainer Bill Reger before every game. Listening to loud music gets her motivated to go out and get a win for her team.

Jillian’s love was not always for volleyball; her athletic career began in gymnastics. 

Feeley said, “I was a competitive gymnast my whole life before I played volleyball and won the [gymnastic] New York State Championship three years in a row. “

“After I left gymnastics I wanted to still be active so my sister told me I should try volleyball,” Jillian said.

Feeley says she looks up to her sisters, who were also athletes for Pascack Valley. Her sister Tegan Feeley played volleyball alongside Jillian, and Claudia Feeley played softball for PV.

As Feeley weighs her options for the future, she says that she wants to focus on academics in college while being involved with a club team or participating in intramurals. 

Whatever path Feeley chooses, a bright future as a player and person awaits.

“Jillian is incredibly humble and has a great team-first mentality. I’m so grateful that I got to have her for more than one season,” Mac Iver said. “Jillian is a true asset to the program and will be very successful in all of her future endeavors,” she added.