It was a rematch of the Senior Night game for Richard Montgomery Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team when they again played against Walter Johnson, this time in the first round of playoffs. As always, the players, with the crowd chanting their support, entered the court with energy and confidence as they completed their warm-up routines. This confidence resonated with the fans, who hollered and waved signs to amplify the boisterous atmosphere in support of the home team. It was clear that the support worked, as the girls would go on to win the game 3 sets to 1.

In the first set, the team displayed one of the best performance of their season. Despite injuries to key players such as senior Abby Hernandez and sophomore Julia Finver, the team shrugged off this setback to demonstrate a stronger team unity that allowed players to work flawlessly together. “The teamwork displayed in the game was a pivotal factor in today’s win,” senior Cathleen Kong stated. In addition, each player displayed her utmost effort to extend the Rockets’ sizable lead in the first set. In particular, the strong back line of the team repelled many fierce attacking plays orchestrated by Walter Johnson players. “Our back row passers did a great job not letting that many balls hit the ground on our side,” senior Helen Kent asserted. At the end of the set, the Rocket achieved a comfortable 25-11 win.

However, the Rockets struggled with problems that have plagued them in past games, mainly stemming from a lack of communication. “We still have a few problems communicating with each other during the game,” senior Helen Kent stated. “But we will try our hardest to fix this issue.” The team still showed great teamwork in their efforts to reverse a very large deficit in the second set. Despite the team’s motivated response to an uphill battle, the Rockets succumbed to a 25-18 loss in the second set.

With the score tied at one-one, the players rallied with all of their strength and ability to achieve a higher level of performance that pushed the team to victory. “The intensity that we delivered in the third and fourth set was the deciding factor in our improvement,” stated senior Linda Qiu, who delivered stunning shots that helped the Rockets scored crucial points. “Our tenacity also contributed because even though the scores were tight at some points but we were able to pull through and win,” Kong said. With the girls rediscovering their strong willpower, along with the continual supporting chants from the home crowd, the team capped off a 3-1 victory, winning 25-19 in the third set and 25-23 in the deciding set.

Reflecting on the experience of this game, the players will have many positives to take from their win against Walter Johnson. “Team spirit played a major role in helping to keep us focused and keep the energy up. We are hoping to maintain this in our next game,” Kent said. Whichever team facing against the Rockets in the next round of playoffs will have to handle a tight-knit group of players with amazing talent who will battle relentlessly to achieve success.