On Friday, Sept. 15, the varsity volleyball team lost 3-1 through four sets to Round Rock on student night. Both teams exhibited high energy play with consistent offense, however Round Rock ultimately proved victorious. Julia Hopkins ‘24 led the Lady Warriors offensively with a total of 12 kills, and on the other end, Sahasra Mandalapu ‘25 commanded the defensive half of the game with 25 digs.
“I’m disappointed that we couldn’t pull through,” Ava Moncada ‘25 said. “We put up a good fight in the first three sets. I think we had some great moments and I’m excited to see them again in the second round of districts.”
The first set saw periods of long, intense rallies where both teams showed off their best attacks. Westwood was connecting well on offense, and setting up well executed plays, but Round Rock managed to pull ahead by finding holes in Westwood’s defense that they would exploit with tips and setter dumps. However, the Lady Warriors did not let the Dragons’ lead slow down their game. At one point, Mandalapu even saved the point by kicking the ball before it hit the ground, earning Westwood the point. Unfortunately, the set ended 25-16 after Westwood served it out of bounds.
The Lady Warriors entered the second set determined to make a comeback. Westwood began sending in kill after kill early on, giving them a comfortable lead. The teams once again found themselves fighting in long, intense rallies, but this time Westwood managed to get the upper hand, sending in well-placed finishes, earning them points. The ladies won the set 25-20, with a line shot by Hopkins.
Tied 1-1, the two teams started off the third set in a similar fashion, maintaining quality gameplay, leading to back and forth points with neither team managing to gain a lead. At this point, tensions were skyrocketing, both teams were determined to win this integral set and break the tie. The score remained in dead heat until the score was 21-21, when Round Rock began to dominate offensively, sending in a series of kills that Westwood was not able to control. The Dragons won the set 25-22 when they hit the ball into Westwood’s block and it rebounded outside of the court.
The fourth set, Westwood’s final opportunity to stay in the match, was one of high tension amongst both the players and the crowd. The set started similarly to the others, with long rallies and neither team being able to gain a lead. However in the last few points, Round Rock once again sent in a series of kills that the ladies were unable to combat, losing the fourth set 25-15, ending the match.
“Defense struggled towards the end,” Moncada said. “We played well together, we just had moments of struggle. Our energy felt low towards the end of the game because of their lead.”
Following the game, the idea of improvement was on all of the Lady Warriors’ minds following a frustrating loss.
“We tried our best but ultimately made too many errors, keeping us from our win,” Mandalapu said.
The Lady Warriors will take the court again on Tuesday Sept. 19 in their matchup against McNeil.
