As students begin to stand, players line up, and hands go over hearts, the gym goes silent. During the presentation of the National Anthem is the only time the gym is silent.
The buzzer goes off and set one begins. The Huntley girls varsity volleyball team took on the Barrington Fillies on Sept. 20 in a three set victory.
The Huntley girls varsity volleyball team has been undefeated thus far this season and currently holds first place in the Fox Valley Conference. With a high standard, they were set to face a Barrington team that was set to test their abilities. Huntley took a hold of the first set as they won 25-19. With consistent serves from senior Lizzy Williams, the crowd was in awe at her performance.
Contributing to the first set win, outside hitter Georgia Watson and middle blocker Jocelyn Erling were consistent by the net. As the first set came to an end, fans in Raider Nation erupted as their team had taken the early lead.
Huntley took the court for the second set in hopes to secure the win. Early on, both teams were consistent going touch for touch, but Barrington caught on throughout the match and forced Huntley to take a timeout with an 11-8 lead.
After that, the Fillies held a consistent lead and won the second set 25-22. For Huntley, “this was the first time [they’ve] gone three this season, so it was nice to see how [they] would react in three and what [they] are capable of,” coach Karen Naymola said.
With that, tension was created throughout the gym as fans were waiting to see the outcome of the game. For the Raiders, “even though [they] lost a few points and [Barrington] made good plays, [Huntley] made even better plays,” senior Lizzy Williams said. Nonetheless, Huntley stood behind their words and bounced back to take an early lead. They created the largest deficit within the game as they led by 7 points. With kills by Watson, who already has the highest kill percentage among the team at 55%, Huntley was able to take the lead. With final touches by seniors Morgan Jones, Laura Boberg, and Elizabeth Williams, Huntley won the final set 25-20 to the team that had diminished their playoff stride just last year.
As Huntley continues their season, players emphasize their teamork and unity. With new players on the team, “the energy that [they] have on the court is so fun to play with,” junior Georgia Watson said.
