With the score being 24-16 in the third set of the match and the Lady Cards up by eight, the student sections roared from both sides of the court.
Sophomore Kaitlynn Denton stood in front of the net as she anxiously waited for the serve from Pike High Schools’ Lady Red Devils.
While the Lady Cards nervously waited for the serve, the SHS student section could be heard in the background singing “nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye,” taunting Pike’s student section.
Denton watched as the ball was served and waited until it was her time.
Soon after the serve, the Lady Cards received it and sent the ball back over the net. Then, Pike would have gone in for a spike, but Denton disturbed their plans with a game-winning block that won the last set and claimed victory at 3-0 for the Lady Cards on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
I felt very excited to get the winning block,” Denton said.
Securing the win for her team wasn’t a difficult task for Denton. For her, it was all about being in the moment and paying attention to her surroundings.
“I mean she’s a good hitter,” Denton said. “I mean you can really only do so much. It’s really just about placement and timing.”
Throughout the game, the Lady Cards stayed consistent with their wins, supporting each other and sticking together as a whole.
“We got to stay together,” sophomore Abby Boone said. “You cannot let someone go off just by themselves in their own head. You got to all stay together, (and) talk together as one.”
During the first set, junior Marlee Chafin and Boone were working hard together, with Boone setting the ball and Chafin getting the kill.
Throughout the game, both Chafin and Boone were on fire all night with a total of 12 assists, many of which came from each other.
“That’s frickin’ amazing, they had great runs,” girls’ volleyball head coach Chelsea Hoffman said.
Halfway into the second set, senior Vonny Kho had a powerful spike that would hit Pikes’ libero directly in the face. The crowd “oohed” as the player gathered herself and recovered quickly.
Throughout the entire match, Kho had a total of four kills and 17 attempts. Her and Chafin were the leading hitters through the night.
Towards the end of the third set, Denton had a big block, bringing the score to 20-15, which caused the crowd to cheer.
The block brought tension and excitement to the court.
Soon after, she would make the block that won the game for the Lady Cards, which brought the crowd rushing onto the court as the team celebrated their huge sweep over the Lady Red Devils.
The Lady Cards hard work and dedication during the match, powered them through every set with ease, which showed their true determination and teamwork.
“Let’s go, we’re 6-0 and it’s a great way to start this season, especially with this young team,” Hoffman said.
