Natalie Zucker

LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - The Longmeadow girls volleyball team won its first Western Mass title last season.   Now they're hungry for seconds.   Just about every play runs through Senior setter Natalie Zucker and she is the 22News athlete of the week.  

"It's hard, last year we did so well, this year we have to live up to the expectations of last year.  We have a completely different team and we have to work really hard  to get better every practice and make a lot of improvements.if we want to do as well as we did last year", says Zucker.  

The Lancers can't sneak up on anyone this year, and Zucker knows it.

"It puts pressure on us, we want to live up to those expectations."  

Zucker and her Longmeadow teammates expect another successful season and they're already off to a fast start, but winning back-to-back Western Mass titles is not going to be a walk in the park.

"We still need to work hard to get there, its not going to be easy.  If we want it, we have to earn it", adds Zucker.  

Zucker also has a 4.29 grade point average out of 4.  She helped the Lancers earn the American Volleyball Coaches Association team academic award, only the 3rd Massachusetts high school to win this award since 1992.  

Congratulations to Natalie for being the 22News Athlete of the Week.