WA Girls’ Volleyball team faced Lowell High School on Thursday, Sep. 7, taking home their first win of the season with a score of 3-1 and making their current record 1-1.
After suffering a loss on September 5 in their season opener, WA arrived energized for the first away game of the season. Despite the heat on a Thursday evening, the stands filled with passionate students and parents ready to watch the game.
Entering the first set, both teams maintained a solid tie. However, as the Ghosts gained rhythm in their passing, hard finishes from players including sophomore Kaitlyn Pepin and senior captain Jocelyn Vogel led to a quick 19-6 lead.
The communication between teammates on the court proved to be beneficial to the team amidst a long string of passes and digs, and after the players huddled for a quick timeout, WA managed to win the first set 25-17.
The second set ensued similar to the first, with WA in control of the game. Despite Lowell gaining a headstart with a 7-4 point differential, the Ghosts remained focused on the constant movement of the ball, regaining possession with a 13-9 lead. Pepin used quick coordination, even saving a ball off the sole of her shoe.
Following the strategizing, WA continued their streak of offensive aggression with well planned sets to senior captain Sophie Krauss, who nailed in final points to reach another victory in the second set, 25-20. WA then took a 2-0 set lead.
During the third set, tension was high as the game play gained momentum, leading to numerous out-of-bounds serves. While WA initially advanced 11-8, Lowell was never more than a few points behind. Krauss also carried her spike in the back row, as Lowell struggled to keep the ball in bounds during certain volleys.
However, as passing and communications weakened on behalf of the Ghosts, Lowell was gaining momentum point by point. After an action filled few minutes, they were able to tie the game at 21 points. From here each volley spanned nearly double the duration as previous, until Lowell eventually won the third set 25-23 with a fumbled ball.
Before getting back on the court, head coach Brandon Eang huddled with the team to discuss tactics for the fourth set. This time, WA didn’t manage to get more than four points ahead of their competitors. As the Ghosts tightly led 6-5, Pepin went for a kill at the net and fell from a faulty landing.
With pressure roaring from the crowds, control continued to be thrown off balance. Nonetheless, WA won the fourth and final set 25-18 with a sharp and intentful spike from freshman Anna Fernandez. This marked the first win of the season for the Ghosts, with a 3-1 final set score.
Krauss, who played all four sets and has been on varsity since her freshman year, expressed her excitement for the team this year.
“Honestly, I’m feeling really hopeful. Before tryouts I wasn’t so positive about it, but once I saw our team, how we came together already,” Krauss said. “I’m really proud of the team so far. I see a lot of potential, especially from the underclassmen.”
Although WA was able to pull a victory against Lowell High School, the team still sees room for improvement with the majority of the season ahead of them.
“We are in a tough League and we will need to really work on serve and receive a bit better than tonight […],” Eang said. “Our goal is to have these players improve. Even if they improve 2%, 3%, within the whole season. Better individuals better all of us, and hopefully we can push for the MIAA tournament at the end of the season.”
Missing the final set due to her injury, Pepin was still able to cheer on her teammates from off the court. Yet still, her teamwork helped the team to victory and she expressed her satisfaction toward the first win of the season.
“I’m really glad that we won and we could pull it off,” Pepin said. “The high ceilings help with our serve and receive passes and we also had some strong hits.”
The team scrimmaged Hudson during their preseason and, according to Eang, did fairly well. They hope to continue this streak at their next game against Hudson on Friday, Sep. 15 at 5:00 pm.
