WA Girls’ Volleyball brought home their second win of the season 3-0 away against Bedford on Friday, October 6th.
Right out of the gate, WA started out strong with accurate passes, flawless sets, and powerful hits. Front row players including sophomores Kaitlyn Pepin and Norah Schweitzer, along with senior captain Jocelyn Vogel, were able to have a handful of blocks within the first few minutes of the game, as well. Bedford’s weak defense allowed WA to go up 10-5 early on, forcing their opponents to take a timeout.
After the timeout, senior captain Jenny Alexander served three consecutive aces, increasing their lead once more. WA’s high energy deteriorated half way through the first set resulting in Bedford being able to close the gap and only be down a few points.
Once Pepin was subbed back into the game, she was able to successfully block a hit which sent the ball to an uncovered section of Bedford. The first set came to a close when Alexander had a kill, resulting in WA winning the first set 25-18.
As the second set got underway, WA kept the momentum they had from the previous set. Consistent sets by sophomore Lia Clancy created perfect opportunities for right side hitter Vogel and middle blocker Pepin to attack.
“Individually, I think that I did really well at the net,” Pepin said. “Whether it was hitting overpasses from the other team, or getting blocks and touches on the other team’s hits.”
Early on in the second set, WA was able to take the lead due to junior Eesha Srivastava scoring five points, all off of her serves. This expanded WA’s lead to 11-4, causing Bedford to take a timeout to discuss gameplay.
Alexander continued to be a key player for the Ghosts, sending multiple powerful serves to the opposite side of the court. These unreceivable serves by Alexander made WA win the second set in a row, ending with a score of 25-13.
Unlike the two previous sets, WA began the third set lacking communication which allowed Bedford to take an early 6-3 lead. This caused head coach Brandon Eang to take their first timeout of the game.
For the first time in the game, sophomore Kaelyn D’Eon was subbed in to play back row after WA’s timeout. Her good communication with her teammates and solid receives brought WA’s energy up and resulted in them back in the lead.
Midway through the third set, there were a few rallies between WA and Bedford, but errors on behalf of the Ghosts resulted in Bedford leading by two. However, WA was able to flip the switch with two aces in a row from junior captain Sophie Krauss and multiple tips from both Pepin and Schweitzer, taking a three point lead over Bedford once again.
On game point, freshman Zoe Rose served over the net, and there was a long rally between both teams. WA’s libero, junior Navya Balineni, bumped the ball to Clancy, who set to Pepin, who then slammed the ball down hard to the other side of the net, resulting in a kill and a final score of 25-21.
Schweitzer acknowledged WA’s great teamwork throughout the game, and explained how it helped them win.
“I think we worked really well together as a team,” Schweitzer said. “We really worked as a unit instead of individually as we have in previous games.”
WA Girls’ Volleyball’s next match will be at home on Wednesday, Oct. 11 against Concord-Carlisle at 5 pm.
