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Eyes glued to the ball, Ava Hernandez ’29 executes a powerful serve. Brimming with energy, the team took advantage of these practiced skills to earn points through rallies or kills.
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After missing a hit, Ava Hernandez ’29 looks disappointedly to the crowd while her teammates reassure her. Despite momentary holes, the team always worked to rebuild their morale and kept pushing with their best effort.
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Poised to strike the ball, Brooklyn Hernandez ’29 executes an impressive serve. Her serves started off extended rallies that were tests of stamina for both sides on the court.
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Mid-jump, Olivia Navarro ’29 leaps to block the ball in a middle of a fierce rally. Solid blocks throughout the first and second set pulled them into the lead.
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Arms around each other, the JV White Volleyball Team laugh together as they prepare for their next set. Team chemistry and excitement played a huge role in their success throughout this game.
Fighting to overcome a returning opponent, the JV White volleyball Team kept their winning streak against the Hutto Hippos in a high-pressure match on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Coming back from a loss with improved efficiency and strategy, the Warriors finally won the game with a victorious score of 2-0.
“[My expectations for this game] were to win, focus, and play the best that we can,” Elizabeth Zhang ‘29 said. “We can beat anyone, but all we need is to focus and we’re good.”
Beginning their first set neck-and-neck, the Warriors stayed persistent as small mistakes on both sides continued to keep the score even. An impressive kill from Lucy Aldrete ‘28 and solid swings from Brooklyn Hernandez ‘29 kept team morale high, and bit by bit, the Warriors pulled forward on the scoreboard at 11-9. The Hippos were quick to react to this lead, and despite powerful serves from Sophie Chen ‘29, after multiple extended rallies, the score returned to a tie at 15-15. The Warriors fought back, boosted by swift blocks from Audrey Winders ‘28 and Liberty Hargave ‘29, breaking past the tie and bringing the score to 17-15. Utilizing this momentum to continue a streak of points, the Warriors fought harder to match the growing tension between teams. As the crowd rose to their feet, dynamic kills from Hargave and Ava Hernandez ‘29 brought the first set to a close, finishing at 25-20.
“I got a nice swing, so I was really happy about that,” Hargave said. “[My teammates] got lots of hits, so I was [really proud].”
With growing confidence, the Warriors returned to the court for their second set. Effective communication and elevated morale allowed them to quickly take the lead at 5-3. Serves from Chen kept the Warriors consistently ahead, and the team celebrated as Hargave successfully executed a masterful strike, bringing the score to 7-4. Even through long rallies, the Warriors continued to put in their best effort, Zhang dedicatedly leaping to attempt digs. Following strong swings from Ava Hernandez ‘29, the match reached 20-14. Still, as the Hippos’ communication began to improve, the Warriors’ began to suffer, surprised by the sudden improvement. Despite their quick adaptation to fix holes in formation, the Warriors reached a tie of 22-22. Alarmed, a timeout was called to reconvene and discuss strategy. After they returned to the court, now back on track,, the Warriors immediately stole back their lead, ending the set at 25-23.
“My favorite thing was getting a block,” Olivia Navarro ‘28 said. “I was really proud of Brooklyn because she really stepped up and she was really nervous about it before the game, but she did it.”
The Warriors will return to the court on Friday, Oct. 3, to try their hand against the Vista Ridge Rangers.
![Fists clenched with enthusiasm, [Lila Wellington] (?) '27 and Piper Evans '27 yell together to encourage each other during a set. Their combined energy built the team's stamina throughout their game.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-09-26_VarsityVSVandegrift_VedantiPatil_EDITED5-1200x979.jpg)
