Going into the Battle of the Hills, the entire freshman volleyball team knew it would be a difficult battle to walk away with two wins. Taking on Northern and Eastern is easier said than done, but in the end, the girls rode home victorious.

While the freshman team has yet to start conference play, it is more than ready to start its season against conference adversaries. Head coach Payton Milo has worked with the team for the past two weeks on preparing for this season and the players are anticipating their loaded schedule. Playing about a dozen matches, a majority of them will be facing multiple opponents.

Going into the game, the game plan was short and sweet.

“We didn’t really have [a gameplan],” Ella O’Connor said. The girls stuck to the fundamentals by focusing on setting and finishing. They also brought competitive energy to the matches that really set them a notch above their opponents.

According to coach Milo, what works for the freshmen is their positive attitudes and competitive spirits on the court. Their high level of drive and great movement on the court is what sets them apart from other teams. When it comes to leadership, the team captains Kaitlyn Childers and Mia Burr stand out on and off the court.

The freshman team begins its conference play next Thursday, September 16th, facing off against Greenville at Greenville High School.

“Our main focuses have been our serve receive and working with our hitters to make smart decisions at the net,” coach Milo said.

Seeing how the girls played at the Battle of the Hills, it’s hard to think that the bus ride home from Greenville will be a somber one.