It’s down to the last ten seconds of the basketball game. Gabrielle Bannett ’24 races down the court with the ball. Finding her opponent, she throws the ball into the air as her teammate guides it into the basket! Princeton wins!

Growing up, Bannett got her love of basketball from her family. Her father was her basketball coach all throughout elementary and middle school.

“He definitely inspired me to stick with [playing basketball], because he always comes to my games to support me,” Bannett said.

Along with her father, Bannett has had many other people help her and get her to where she is now. In middle school, her basketball coach, Coach Mike Maguire, helped her grow as well.

“I really looked up to [Maguire],” said Bannett. “He helped me …develop a [deep] love for the game.”

When transitioning to high school basketball, Bannett had an advantage in that she already knew many of the players on the team, since they had played on an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team together.

“It was a little bit of a transition, but everyone was super amazing and welcoming,” Bannett said. “I had so much fun with that team and we made so many great memories together, that [it] really made me want to continue playing basketball in high school.”

Head Coach David Kosaof the PHS girls basketball team noted that when he first saw Bannet play in the seventh grade, Kosa already knew that Bannett was an advanced player in her skillset.

“Her fundamentals were really strong,” said Kosa. “And you could tell that she had a very strong basketball IQ, and a very strong basketball persona on the court.”

Luna Bar-Cohen ’25, a teammate alongside Bannett, reaffirms these sentiments. Bar-Cohen has been playing with Bannet since middle school, and she believes that the years they’ve played together has greatly helped their team chemistry.

“She does so much for our team on and off the court, and [she’s] always willing to go the extra mile for us,” said Bar-Cohen. “In games and practices, Gabby does a great job of seeing everyone on the court and facilitating good ball movement. ... When the team needs [help], we always know we can count on [her].”

To Bannett, understanding each other and having each other's backs in challenging moments is what really counts. For her, she is grateful that she can trust the rest of her team in big moments, just like they can trust her.

“We know how to laugh and have fun with each other but we also know when it's time to be serious and work together,” said Bannett. “It’s a good balance that’s important to have in any team environment.”

Now into her last season, Bannet is looking forward to winning something with the PHS team. For her, putting something up on the banner is the team's biggest goal.

It's my last shot to win something and put something on the banner, So I really hope we can do that this season,” said Bannet. “Coach always says it's banner season, because we have nothing on our banner hanging in the new gym right now. So this is just another opportunity for us to get something new to form.”

The team's optimism to win a title for PHS is demonstrative of the team's personality and tenacity. For Kosa, this constant belief is not just talk. He notes the work that has been done in the off season.

“This year has been the most [turnout] that we’ve ever had in the summertime...” said Kosa. “We’ve worked with coach John Torey in strength and conditioning... It's not a surprise where the girls that have improved the most have been the girls that have been putting in the work during the offseason.”

While working hard is a must-have mentality for the PHS Girls volleyball team, enjoying yourself is just as important to them. For Bannett, she tries to bring a unified environment to the team, which she knows can help the team further down the road in tough games.

“Having team lunches on game days and inside jokes are just some of the things that have strengthened our bonds as friends and teammates,” said Bannett. “Over the four years I’ve been on this team, we have always had great chemistry on and off the court.”