As 6 o’clock rolled around Monday night, the largest crowd of the season poured into the stands of the RAC to watch the highly anticipated volleyball match between Trinity and local rival Lake Highland Prep. Lake Highland managed to bring a few fans, while Trinity’s student section was almost completely filled. Over a dozen students even body and face painted in blue and gold to support the girls.
Lake Highland was able to come away with the win in the first game. After jumping out to a 5-0 lead, the Highlanders were kept a steady lead throughout the rest of the game. The Saints struggled to get going at first, committing five errors on their first five possessions. While they were able to keep the game within a ten-point deficit, the Saint’s struggle with continuous errors (6 missed serves) throughout the first game was too much to overcome.
Looking to rebound from the loss in the first game, the Trinity girls won the first two points of the second game. The two teams struggled back and forth, tied at 11-11, until the Highlanders eventually pulled away again. Both teams seemed to have problems with communication errors throughout the game in the loud atmosphere.
“We’ve never had a crowd that loud,” Senior team captain Jess Nash said. “It was weird not being able to even hear the bench.”
This allowed the Highlanders to grab a 25-17 win for a second straight game.
As half of the student section decided to call it quits, the third game began. Both teams played their best games by far, continually going back and forth throughout the entire game. Lake Highland was able to edge out the win at the very end by a mere four points.
While the girls lost in three games, it is positive that their play improved as the match went progressed. And while the loss may seem like a step back, Lake Highland is known as one the best teams in the area. The girls should come away from this game satisfied now that they know they can compete with the best teams. This should give them confidence heading into their district tournament at the end of October.