Varisty volleyball becomes district champions
After coming out victorious, the girls volleyball team became district champions, defeating Wharton High School 3-1 Oct. 18. The girls will compete at Regionals next where they’ll vie for a position at States.
“Our intentions were to maintain composure, to be able to dictate the tempo of the game, and be able to win districts,” coach Vanja Todorovic said.
The team came out of the first set winning 25-12. The second set was close to the first with the girls managing to secure a second win 25-17.
“I think it was really good that we came out strong in the first set because it built up our confidence and brought the momentum into the game,” junior Haile Gould said.
In the third set, the girls lost 22-25. The set consisted of multiple rallies with points rebounding back and forth between the two teams. Wharton kept a near lead the whole time and eventually pulled out a win from the Panthers.
“During the third set it was not something that we really expected,” Todovoric said. “I think Wharton decided to play a little tougher which was evident in the way they played. They gave us a run for our money. It was an eye-opening moment for the girls for them to realize anything can happen in a game.”
It was the team’s first dropped set in the whole season.
“The third set we kind of fell apart a little bit because we made a lot of individual errors,” junior Birdie Frierson said. “In the fourth we came back united again and played really well as a team.”
The girls started off the fourth set with a six-point lead. Wharton then scored, making the score close temporarily, but the girls pulled ahead with a consistent lead to the end. The final score was 25-17, securing the girls’ title for district champions.
“I told them in between sets that they need to go ahead and play the game itself because they looked like they were chasing the score rather than playing the game,” Todovoric said. “Once they decided to leave it all out on the court, they were able to see the result reflected out there in the fourth set.”
The team will advance to regionals, where there is a chance they will face Wharton again. They will need three matches to win and enter the state championship final four.
“To win states we need to keep working on limiting our individual errors, listening to our coach, working hard and establishing ourselves as a team,” Frierson said.
