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Mid-jump, Sophie Chen ’29 leaps to set the ball for her teammate, Audrey Winders ’28. Catching on in milliseconds, Winders runs to spike the ball.
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Keeping her eye on the ball, Liberty Hargave ’29 prepares for her serve. Hargave’s powerful serves gave the Warriors an advantage throughout the game.
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Motioning excitedly, Audrey Winders ’28, Sophie Chen ’29, Lucy Aldrete ’28, and Kimmie Menendez ’28 celebrate following an exceptional kill that earned the Warriors a leading point. Cheering each other on throughout the game allowed the girls to gain stamina and team chemistry.
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Beaming, Kimmie Menendez ’28 searches for her family in the stands while hugging her teammates. The girls were overjoyed after winning Set 2, rallying together to gather energy for the next one.
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With an anxious smile, Lucy Aldrete ’28 discusses a lost point with a referee. After the conversation, and conferring with her coach, the game soon resumed.
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Arms outstretched, Liberty Hargave ’29 and Olivia Navarro ’28 leap to block the ball. The pair worked together throughout the game and earned points throughout Set 2 through their efforts.
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Determined, Ava Hernandez ’29 reaches up for a serve. Hernandez’s focus rallied team spirits as the game continued, serving as motivation even when falling behind.
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Putting their hands together, the JV White Volleyball Team gathers to prepare for their next set. Their strong connection allowed for them to put together their efforts and win Set 2 of the game.
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Tossing the ball upwards, Olivia Navarro ’28 prepares for her serve. Navarro’s effective serve aided her team throughout the game.
In an intense battle on Friday, Sept. 12, the JV White Volleyball Team competed against the Round Rock Dragons. Despite consistent teamwork and an impressive display of skill, the Warriors ultimately suffered defeat, losing 2-1.
“The worst part of the game was when we began getting stuck,” Liberty Hargave ‘29 said. “But getting really, really hype between sets was a lot of fun.”
Opening the first set, the Dragons gained the first point through a hot kill, however the Warriors fought to earn back lost points with successful blocks, and took their first lead of the night, 2-1. Following the Warriors lead, Round Rock began a series of aggressive attacks, and back to back kills that set back the Warriors. Fighting hard on offense the Warriors fell in a bind as the Dragons defense continued to read Westwood’s plays and respond quickly on defense. As the set drew to a close, Westwood began to find that momentum they achieved in the beginning of the set, but the Dragons were too far ahead and took the win, ending with a score of 9-25.
“I felt like I had to work on my serve receive,” Sophie Chen ‘29 said. “I kept targeting and missing, [but] I felt really proud of our team, because I think we played a lot better together.”
The second set began with a bang, with Westwood quickly gaining the opening points of the set. Round Rock quickly followed but not for long as Audrey Winders ‘28 kept the Dragons on edge with an outstanding block, bringing Westwood ahead on the scoreboard. Quickly followed by an ace from Hargave, the Warriors surged forward, feeding off of the team’s momentum. Effective kills from Round Rock kept the game close throughout the set, but Westwood found the grit to soar ahead. By using different rotations and previously practiced plays, the set ended in a Westwood victory.The final score of the second set was 25-23.
“Round Rock is a really tough school to compete against,” Team Manager Joah Choe ‘29 said. “I had hope for our team because they had such good coordination. They fought so hard and should be happy.”
Going into the final set, both teams were eager to take home the last set that would result in a victory. Westwood once again opened with the first point, giving them good footing to build on during set 3. However, consecutive net balls following this first point set them back. The Dragons, determined to take home the win, relied on their best outside hitters to provide them with many back to back kills, advancing the score and leading by more than 10. Georgia Leuke ‘29 executed a solid block against the Dragons, breaking Round Rock’s streak at 6-20. Down by 14, this block was just what the Warriors needed to build back their energy. Doing just that, the Warriors fought their way up the scoreboard and narrowed the point deficit to under 10. Still, as they struggled to prevent holes in the formation, Round Rock overtook them and concluded the set with a score of 20-25.
“I was super excited and nervous for this game,” Winders said. “I’m so proud and was really [encouraged] when we won set 2. I think this was one of our best games, and next time we play them, we’ll do even better.”
The Warriors’ next game will take place at Cedar Ridge against the Raiders, on Sept. 19.
![Focused, Grace Toledo '28 prepares to set the ball, as part of the warm up. Toledo played a crucial role in backrow during the Warrior's game against the Raiders. "[In the third set] we fixed our serves, and filled in the gaps," Toledo said.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Edit_2025-09-16_JVO-Volleyball-vs-Cedar-Ridge_PreeyaPanwalker_1-e1758381918417-697x1200.jpg)
