Convent is offering two new sports this spring, giving student athletes the opportunity to play a sport they have long wanted to play, or try.

“There has been interest in lacrosse but not quite enough to get it going, so we are hoping this year to start it as a club,” Athletic Director Elena De Santis said. “Beach volleyball came with Mr. [Anthony] Thomas. He had it at his old school and was excited to bring it here.”

Junior Emily Kanellos, co-captain of the varsity volleyball team, proposed the idea of a beach volleyball team to Thomas, who was able to realize a team this spring.

“I wanted Convent to have a beach volleyball team so we could strengthen our skills for our fall volleyball season,” Kanellos said. “I know that it is really hard, so the first few weeks should be tough, but it should be a good challenge.”

Building a lacrosse team has been in the works for a long time, according to junior Sofia Pirri, who has tried to create a lacrosse team since she was in seventh grade at Convent Elementary.

“I’ve played competitive lacrosse since fourth grade — that was something that was really important to me — and I really wanted to be able to play year round,” Pirri said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people for a really long time and lacrosse was just one thing that I wasn’t going to let go.”

With the approaching move of soccer to the winter season in 2019, lacrosse will transition from a club sport to a varsity sport, according to De Santis.

“I’m excited to finally have the sport at the school,” Pirri said. “It has been a passion of mine for a really long time and I’m excited to be able to represent my school in something I really love.”