The varsity volleyball team was on fire these past four days.

It showed when FHC crushed its competition at Caledonia High School this past Saturday, defeating all six of its opponents on its way to nabbing the trophy and becoming champions of the tournament. The Rangers would follow their big weekend up with a spectacular set of two games against rival Grand Rapids Christian, who has beaten the Rangers more than they have won in the past two years.

The Grand Rapids Christain win helped showcase what the Rangers could bring to the court, and senior Grace Hudkins was especially excited about beating one of FHC’s nemeses.

“Since sophomore year, Christian has been one of our program’s biggest rivals,” Grace said. “This win was crucial for us because it put our program on the map and exemplifies to other teams that FHC Volleyball is here to prove a point. It definitely solidified our team’s confidence to win the match over such a great program.”

Before the Rangers took down the Eagles of Christian, they had to run through the gauntlet of the WMVOA tournament on Saturday, August 28. FHC swept South Christian, Forest Hills Eastern, St. Johns, and Coopersville on its way to the semi-finals. The Rangers were then faced with a match-up against Forest Hills Northern, which was the first time all day one of their opponents forced a tough third set. Fortunately for FHC, the team chemistry was too strong for the Huskies to handle. The final set ended 16-14 (25-15 FHC in the first and 25-20 FHN in the second.) After that, FHC faced off against the host team, Caledonia, in the finals match. Up against a talented Caledonia squad, FHC had to preserve through another tough three-set match. The Rangers handily defeated the Fighting Scots in round one, winning 25-14, but the Scots came back with an uppercut of their own by winning 25-18 in the second round.

The tournament definitely boosted the team’s chemistry, especially since the girls had to push through such a long day. Nevertheless, senior Sophie Shields and her teammates had faith in the team from the beginning.

 “I think we knew we had the potential to win it from the start, but we still needed to gain confidence in staying consistent and pushing through to the end,” Sophie said.

 The Grand Rapids Christain series on Tuesday came after a clean sweep of Wayland High School. Junior Sarah Dunn had quite the performance in this match, notching 12 kills out of her 20 attempts and amassing 5 digs. The Rangers won both games by a score of 25-21 and 25-18. In the Grand Rapids Christian series, Sophie, senior Brooklyn Conner, and sophomore Avery Weslow racked up a total of 19 kills. Sarah continued a strong day, as she compiled 8 kills, 2 aces, 2 solo blocks, 3 digs, and 5 receptions.

 The Rangers are now 12-1 on the season. Their 12-1 record includes a 4-1 record in a pre-school tournament where FHC beat Livonia Stevenson, Grandville, West Ottawa, and South Christian before losing to Hudsonville in the finals. This Friday, the Rangers are faced with a four-game series with matches versus Livonia Churchill, North Muskegon, Grand Haven, and Leland High.