Dedicating all their energy, power, and teamwork the JV orange volleyball team dominated the McNeil Mavericks 2-0 at home on Friday, Sept. 13. Bombarding the Mavericks with countless and consistent attacks, the Warriors swiftly captured their second win of the season.
Diverging from the shared trend of the past two games, both teams approached the start of the first set with full aggression, giving no chance for the other to catch up. Not stopping to test the waters or gain their footing, both the Warriors and the Mavericks alike fully immersed themselves in gaining the offensive upper hand from the beginning. Aiming to get straight to the point, both teams focused on shooting the ball far down the court, this was a stark shift from the fumbles and short rallies as seen in the last two games from Westwood. Trying to push ahead on the scoreboard, the Warriors issued powerful strikes to the opposing court, using key team-oriented maneuvers to capitalize on their opponent’s missteps, eventually creating a consistent three-point margin for the rest of the set.
“I thought [the game] was really fun because I got to play a lot,” Setter Henly Hammonds ‘28 said. “We worked really hard throughout the couple practices we had this week, and it’s really shown through our playing. [One of the biggest] things we worked on, was tempo.”
Although the Warriors showcased a newfound sense of technique compared to their past two games, the Mavericks put on a tough fight by striving to match the Warriors’ power. Gaining a solid footing towards mid-set, the Warriors upped their defense, avoiding the Maverick onslaught. Slowly pushing their offense as well, the Warriors teamed their aggression with their energized spirit and teamwork to push them into a sizeable eight-point margin. According to Hammonds, the team has been utilizing innovative team-bonding strategies to enhance their play on the court.
“A couple of days ago we had this pickleball bonding thing at our friend’s house and it was a lot of fun,” Hammonds said. “Our team has really begun to bond together, which has been a good factor in our play as a team.”
Late into the first set, the Mavericks grew tired, and with the increasing point pressure from the Warriors, McNeil increasingly fumbled the ball; further motivating the Warriors to bring about a swift end to the set. Although the Warriors also began to physically tire, their 13-point buffer allowed them to slowly and steadily inch towards winning the set. Culminating the set in a series of calculated offensive tactics, the Warriors deftly claimed the first set, 25-12.
“Trying new things really [helped make a quick game],” Pin Setter Riley Thomas ‘27 said. “We worked a lot in practice with a play called slides and shifting on defense and I think we put that into our play today, which helped a lot.”
Similar to the first, the second set saw renewed aggression and power from both ends of the court as the Warriors gained the upper hand due to their controlled yet formidable strikes stopping McNeil in their tracks. Keeping up the semblance of mutual power and strategy, both teams stayed neck-in-neck at the beginning of the set, but soon a Warrior advance established a slow and steady acceleration, similar to the one seen in the first set. However, the Warriors began to ease up on the offense later into the set, as they found themselves at the net more often, as the Mavericks celebrated their scattered victories. Eventually pushing past the sluggishness spreading across the court, the Warriors slowly built up a renewed spirit and secured a 10-point margin that put the game out of reach for McNeil.
“One thing I want to work on is definitely being more aggressive [and] going to the open spots on the court,” Thomas said.
Eager to win the game as efficiently as possible, the Warriors put forth all their remaining energy into a few targeted strikes as the Mavericks were unable to retaliate. Continuing their consistent offensive onslaught till the very end, winning the game 2-0.
The Warriors will play their next game at home game against Stony Point on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 5:30 p.m. to try and catch their third win of the season.
