The four captains on the Central Catholic girls’ volleyball team have been through a lot together the last two seasons.

As sophomores, Carolyn Eddy, Maggie Hillman, Lindsay Phenix, and Katie Zenevitch helped power the Raiders to the Division 2 North title before falling in the state semis to Bourne.

Last fall, Central Catholic ripped off a perfect 18-0 run in the regular season, repeated as sectional champs, and advanced to the state final before falling to perennial power Medfield, 3-0.

This season, the foursome are determined to lead the Raiders to a state crown, though the quest will be even more challenging: Central Catholic has moved up to Division 1. But this is their last try.

“This year we’ve been able to get everyone to contribute,’’ said Eddy, citing one key factor in comparing this year’s team to the previous two. “We trust each other so much, we’re just keeping our faith.’’

The captains have taken it upon themselves to instill a belief that this season will be different.

“Everyone practices hard and practices like they play,’’ said Hillman. “The depth of this team is different, we’ve connected more as a team.’’

Part of that connection runs through the captains, who are “so close it’s weird,’’ Zenevitch said.

“We just expect to be leaders on and off the volleyball court,’’ said the 6-foot-3 Zenevitch, who has verbally committed to play basketball at Boston College next year.

“Sometimes, girls can be girls, so the four of us have to talk with everyone on the team sometimes and deal with stuff,’’ she said.

“If they’re having a bad day, we want to be there for them. We’ll always have each other no matter what - on and off the court.’’

The resilient Raiders faced their stiffest test last Monday against rival Melrose, whom they’ve beaten in the North final the past two seasons. Melrose won two of the first three games, but Central Catholic dug in and rallied for a 3-2 win to remain undefeated at 8-0.

Hillman and Eddy are the anchors, never leaving the floor. Eddy, a 5-10 setter from Dracut, is the only one of the four to have started all four years. A key role for her involves distributing the ball. The 5-10 Hillman, an outside hitter from North Andover, complements Eddy with an excellent service game and sharp defensive skills. Her coach, Gannon Paris, said Hillman has also developed a solid offensive game and added power to the outside.

The 6-foot Phenix, a middle hitter from Tewksbury and starter since her sophomore year, reads the court well, picking up kills in bunches.

Zenevitch, a Haverhill resident, stepped right onto the court and started as a sophomore, despite never having played the game before. But her size, quickness, and ability to compete made her an impact player.

Phenix and Eddy both plan to play volleyball collegiately, with interest being shown by schools such as Bryant, Bucknell, UMass-Lowell, Wheaton, and Saint Anselm, among others.

And the school has rallied around this team, more so than in past seasons, which surprises Paris. “This is the first time since I’ve been here people are noticing the team this early in the season,’’ he said.

The quartet of captains constitutes the first graduating class for the fourth-year coach. They have meshed as teammates and friends, matured as individuals and players, and developed a bond.

“The four of them were together as sophomores and started as sophomores, and they’ve been able to learn and stay in the same position together as girls have graduated around them,’’ Paris said.

“We’ve been able to put some complementary players in place, and they’ve gotten stronger.

“As sophomores, they impressed me enough to start from the beginning. We’ve been able to build around them now, they’ve gotten smarter.’’

And they are hungry to reach the one goal that has been so elusive: a title.

That goal will have come through usual suspects, such as Andover, whom they play Oct. 16. The Raiders handed Andover its only loss of the season in their first game Sept. 10, with a 3-1 decision.

They will also play Central Mass. power Westborough, as well as travel to Springfield Oct. 17 to play in the Hall of Fame Classic, an invitational at Holyoke Community College that will feature teams from all over the Northeast.

Paris said he thinks the difficult schedule will keep his team motivated.

“I don’t want to be satisfied with the success we’ve had,’’ he said. “We want to enjoy ourselves out there, and we want to win. They know there’s something else greater out there, and they use that as motivation.’’

Even if they fall short of that goal, they will always have the enduring relationships that they have built with one another.

“I came out of my shell with these girls. I was quiet, the team made me more open. I can laugh now,’’ Phenix said, half-joking.

“We’ve gotten really, really close over the years.’’

Jonathan Raymond can be reached at jraymond@globe.com.