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Dakota Hodge ’26 begins the the play by controlling Stony Point’s serve and passing the ball to her teammates. Hodge helped set up many of the Westwood kills with her skilled passing.
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The Lady Warriors huddle up to discuss their strategy for the third set of the match. Westwood would go on to lose the set 25-20.
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Olivia Hendricks ’24 jumps up to spike the ball after a well-placed set from Rachel Cai ’24.The Lady Warriors’ strong offensive play lifted them to score more than 20 points in all three sets.
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Jaya Barrientes ’24 initiates her jump serve. Barrientes spent most of the game perfecting her jump serve and helped lead the Lady Warrior offense.
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The Lady Warriors celebrate after a kill by Julia Hopkins ’24. The warriors were always quick to celebrate a kill making it that much better.
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On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the varsity volleyball team lost 3-1 through four sets to Stony Point on faculty night. The Lady Warriors put in noticeable effort and strung together some quality plays, however their errors and inability to control the Tigers attacks ultimately contributed to their loss. Julia Hopkins ‘24 led the Lady Warriors offensively with 16 kills and 2 aces, and on the other end Sahasra Mandalapu ‘25 led defensively with 36 digs.
“Overall we played well but there were crucial moments where we got sloppy,” said Kenzie McElroy ‘24. “This team was definitely bearable but we need to work on minimizing our errors and staying calm under pressure.”
The first set started quickly with well executed plays from both teams. Westwood was controlling the serves confidently, leading to multiple attacks at net. Although the Tigers were setting up attacks as well, the Lady Warriors were quick to save the majority of hits sent in. Both teams earned a steady flow of points throughout the set, neither managing to gain a lead. Once the score reached 20-20, the Tigers began taking control when the Warriors committed a couple of offensive errors. The Lady Warriors lost the first set 25-20 when Stony Point found the back of the court through a fast, diagonal spike.
Westwood started off the second set on an entirely different note, earning a flurry of points early on. They sent in many well-placed kills and gained a few points through serves, earning themselves a comfortable lead. The gameplay primarily consisted of long rallies, however Westwood played strong and fought for the point in each one. Near the end of the set, the Warriors ended up committing multiple defensive errors that eventually resulted in a 19-19 tie. The Lady Warriors responded to this with motivation and began sending in kill after kill. Westwood won the second set 25-20 through a block by Ava Moncada ‘25 and Olivia Hendricks ‘24.
The Lady Warriors once again started off the third set by maintaining a significant lead. They adequately controlled the Tiger’s serves, and sent in multiple well placed hits. However, this streak was soon ended when Stony Point began sending in kills of their own. Through this, the Tigers pulled ahead in points and maintained their lead for the remainder of the set. Westwood lost the third set 24-20 when the ball was served into the net.
The fourth set began with the Tigers in the lead, as Westwood struggled to control their serves. Stony Point dominated the set with multiple aces and kills, overwhelming the Lady Warriors defensively. The Warriors were setting up good attacks, but it was ultimately their defensive errors that caused them to fall behind. Westwood lost the fourth set 25-19 when Stony Point spiked it into the back corner of the court.
“We played solid against them and they were a very bearable team,” said Dakota Hodge ‘24. “Things on our side could have been smoother like our communication and our crossing on defense. If we end up being a little bit more disciplined and minimize our errors we can beat any team we play.”
The Lady Warriors will take the court again on Tuesday, Oct. 3, when they will once again face off their rivals the Vandegrift Vipers.
![fiercely swinging, Harper Zoll '25 catches air as she jumped off the ground to get a better angle to hit. Zoll works outside of practice to prepare for aiming her hits during games. "We watch film to watch and learn [the other teams] tendency's, where they like to stand, and who likes to play where so I can prepare for next days game," Zoll said.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-24_VarsityvballvsStoney_IsabelleHoronzy-26-1200x674.jpg)
