County rivals, the Titans and Princeton Tigers volleyball teams, met on the court on October 3. The Lady Titans made the short drive to the Tigers’ den. The girls won the game with a score of 3-1.
Facing a big county rival, the volleyball girls still went into the game with the same confidence as any other team. However, there were some routines followed for the game.
“Players all have their own things that they do to get ready for a big game,” varsity player Edie Helfrich said. “Some people listen to the same music, some put their left shoe on before the right. I always wear my hair a certain way and listen to the same playlist every game.”
Following their rituals and practices leading up to the match, nerves were minimal.
“I was feeling confident,” senior Madelyn Boes said. “I typically don’t get nervous for games, except I did know that this was a rivalry game, and we all had to play well and play together as a team.”
The Lady Titans took the first win with a score of 25-13. Head coach Sabrina Yamashita made sure her girls stayed focused on what they needed to do to secure the win.
“Throughout the game, I reminded the girls that no matter what is happening on the other side, we have to take care of our side first,” Yamashita said. “In the sport of volleyball, it is easy to take the easy balls for granted, but I remind the girls that we should take advantage of those plays.”
In volleyball, a team has to win by two points. The second set climbed to 36 points, so it was back and forth before the Lady Titans claimed the win.
The third set was 25-22, with the Lady Tigers taking the win. It is hard to play with sustained intensity after playing a 36-point set.
“It is difficult to come back out with the same energy after fighting through a set that went 36-34,” Yamashita said.
They played the fourth set and won 25-22, clenching the win with a score of 3-1.
“Even though we dropped the third set, I was very proud that they came back strong in the fourth set to end the game,” Yamashita said. “Long set games build a lot of character for both coaches and players.”
Though it was not a clean sweep of only three games for the Lady Titans, there were positive things to come out of it.
“After games like this one, it is important to remember what it took to get through that game,” Yamashita said. “We had a lot of grit and control to finish the game in four.”
The Lady Titan volleyball team is back in action on Monday, October 7, when they travel to Knox County to play the Vincennes Lincoln Lady Alices.
