Pass. Set. Hit. The crowd goes wild. Senior Morgan Jones, outside hitter, scores the Huntley Red Raiders a point. The girls varsity volleyball team is starting out strong in the first period of the home game between the Crystal Lake South Gators and the Huntley Red Raiders.
Huntley opened with memorable pregame rituals and expressed cheers of joy as they warmed up aggressively and fast. With smiles on their faces, they were eager to take on the exciting game. The Raiders took a lead within the first 7 minutes of the first period; they scored many ace points, leaving the Gators uneasy and making it harder for them to focus. Senior Lizzy Williams, defensive specialist, wins the 21st point of the first match with the Gators this season. The crowd was excited and cheering for the 4 more points won by the Raiders.
The most riling part of the game was the variety of rallies the Huntley girls provided and the many tips our setter, Senior Laura Boberg, dumped on Crystal Lake South. Many dived for the unexpected passes but failed to either receive or save the ball.
“The game was really competitive,” Jones said
There were a total of four time-outs, but three were in the first period and one in the second, all called by the Gators coach. The Huntley girls varsity volleyball team has been undefeated their past few games. All players have shown pure dedication and sportsmanship towards their sport and have not failed to amaze Coach Karen Naymola. With Williams and Jones’ powerful hits, they scored the most points leaving the first match 25-13; a win for the Red Raiders.
During the second match, the Gators came back with a stronger mindset, giving the South fanbase the hope of a successful third match. But, that was no shocker to the Huntley Girls Volleyball team as they had already been exposed to such challenges during after-school practices and past games. The Red Raiders displayed dedication, encouragement, and hard work while winning back the lead before the second period ended.
The Red Raiders seemed to be exhausted from the work they had put in during warm-ups and the intense first match, or maybe they had relaxed thinking that the competition between Crystal Lake South and Huntley was over, but not the actual game itself. The game was considered to be a close match leaving the Gators eight points behind. The game was a close tie ending with a 25-17 match.
“It was an emotional game knowing we are in the Fox Valley Conference and we can’t share it with anyone else,” Naymola said.
