After some time, the fire seemed to dimmer. The first set went fine, but the second set was a whole other story. The third remained close, but the fourth was the finish.

For the first time in almost a month, varsity volleyball suffered a defeat. Its loss to Grand Rapids Christian on Thursday was another instance of two top-tier Grand Rapids volleyball programs going at it. FHC had previously beaten the Eagles in a regular-season battle on Tuesday, August 31, but GRC was able to gain the win because of a solid final three sets. The Rangers came out strong in the first set and won it but lost their momentum around halfway through the second when GRC made a strong run that lasted the rest of the match.

Winning the first set was one of head coach Natalie Roelfzema’s goals heading into the game.

“Momentum is always key in winning any game,” coach Roelfzema said. “In the first set, our team came out with excellent momentum and executed the ball defensively and offensively.”

Junior Sarah Dunn’s performance was one of her best ever at FHC, as she led the team with 27 kills, 2 aces, 23 digs, and 19 receptions. In addition to that, senior Sophie Shields had another stellar performance by notching 9 kills, 2 aces, 20 digs, 6 assists, and 23 receptions. From the young bucks, sophomore Avery Weslow played quite well, going for 2 kills, 1 ace, 1 solo block, 10 digs, 1 assist, and 20 receptions.

It’s tough to bounce back from losses like this, but coach Roelfzema will get her team ready to redeem itself.

“Just like with any loss, I know that this team will bounce back,” Roelfzema said. “We will reflect, learn, and then grow from this match and loss; there are always areas of improvement, which is the foundation of building a great team.

The Rangers are now 21-3 on the season and will enter a very big week. First, FHC will face off with their rival East Grand Rapids on Tuesday before they get a rematch versus Hudsonville on Saturday. Hudsonville is a colossal match-up for FHC, and the Rangers are more than ready to clash with a perennial Division 1 powerhouse.