The Lady Warriors’ varsity volleyball team started pre-season steady with a record of 2-1, but took a devastating defeat Tuesday night against Lake Travis (2-0), ending their game 0-3. Although left with this hardship, the team demonstrated an aggressive defense and presented destructive hits across the court.

The game started slow, both teams earning points back and forth in the first set. Libero Lauren Gregorczyk ‘18 broke the cycle by providing defensive coverage for her hitters and controlled sets that had no spin. Emily Lowe ‘18 fed off her passer’s energy, slamming the ball towards the Cavaliers feet which echoed through the whole gym. The Warriors found their opponents weakness by tipping right over the block, utilizing this strategy to continue gaining points. Cassie Jackson ‘18 and Lowe continuously put up blocks against Lake Travis outside hitters, defending their side with perfect timing. Although the ladies started strong, they were unable to wrap up the first set.

“The beginning of the game was definitely not our best, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t try,” Macy Prenger ‘19 said. “We came back pumped and determined to execute plays successfully.”

The second set started with a serve-receive pass from Maggie Stout ‘19, placing it right over setter Emmalyne Patterson ‘20. Players like Audrey Quesnel ‘20 demonstrated success with swings from the middle and excellent sharps by Caroline Suter ‘19 as outside hitter. The ladies caught up with Lake Travis, but were unable to strongly call the ball’s position in or out on both sides of the court. This cost them the set ending at 14-25.

“We pushed ourselves against difficult competition,” Low said. “There were mistakes and errors, but we managed to control the score by the second set and started working well together. Our communication improved and found our place on the court.”

The Lady Warriors were awarded the first point of the set due to Cavaliers missed serve. The teams maintained the longest rally of the game, but Stout ended it by killing the ball cross court, helping gain another point. Macy Prenger ‘19 served the first aces with aggressive floats,putting the score at 12-14. Maddi Kriz ‘19 and Gregorczyk worked together to save several shanked balls which elicited cheers of excitement from the crowd. They continued to remain close to Lake Travis but finished the set 20-25.

As the team congratulated Lake Travis, their sportsmanship shined at the face of defeat, but they will not let this stand in their way of next Tuesday’s game on Sep. 12.