Taking the court after only losing by two in their last match-up, the JV White volleyball team played an intense game against the Vista Ridge Raiders on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The Lady Warriors pushed hard on both defense and offense but ultimately couldn’t come out with the win, losing to the Raiders 48-22.

After losing the jump ball, the Lady Warriors prepared to stand strong on defense. Starting slow on offense, the Lady Warriors didn’t score until Lola Proano-Montana ‘26 scored the first points of the game, settling in for a bucket, however, Vista Ridge held their own with steady offensive plays and forced turnovers. Despite the slew of turnovers, the Lady Warriors kept their heads up and continued to push for baskets. The Lady Warriors broke an eight-to-nothing run for Vista Ridge with another layup, bringing them within single digits, 12-4. Although the Lady Warriors looked to capitalize on their offensive success, the Rangers made multiple baskets to close out the first period 16-4.

“I think we needed to talk on defense and work on hustling back,” Hadyn Espinoza ‘26 said. “I think we were just really having a hard time getting into our defensive positioning and I also think we need to go through our plays a bit better.”

Ali Hight ‘26 and Charlotte Crockett ‘27 both took initiative on offense going into the second quarter. Making two straight shots, Hight shifted the momentum of the game in the Lady Warriors’ favor. Crockett made a shot, and immediately following, won a jump ball for the Lady Warriors, giving Westwood another shot to set up their offensive motion. Although the Lady Warriors lacked on defense they picked up the energy on offense, trying to close the gap before the half. Ending the first half, Proano-Montana made a quick layup, bringing the Lady Warriors closer to the Raiders 29-13.

“Ali scoring was a really positive moment for us,” Hope Davis ‘27 said. “It helped us keep more positive energy and helped us get up.”

Proano-Montana kept the Lady Warriors afloat through the second half. She had multiple baskets in the third quarter as well as winning a jump ball, giving the ball back to Westwood. The Lady Warriors lacked diligent defensive prowess but worked on ball movement on offense to try and slow down the Raiders’ momentum heading into the final period.

Proano-Montana made the first basket of the fourth period, continuing to show her offensive skill. The Lady Warriors pushed hard on defense and attempted a switch to a zone defense to keep the Raiders out of the paint. It wasn’t just offense for Proano-Montana, as she continuously tracked down multiple defensive rebounds to bring the ball back to the offense. The last shot of the game for the Lady Warriors was a three-point shot made by Abby Thailing ‘26, giving Westwood some late-game success before the final buzzer solidified their loss 48-22.

“I think that through the game we all could have been better at communication,” Hight said. “I feel like the loss was overall due to a lack of communication and almost effort and I feel like we could’ve hustled down the court more, but I do think our teamwork and bond was good.”

The Lady Warriors will take on McNeil in their last home game this Friday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. to celebrate senior night.