Varsity volleyball opens the floodgates on rival East Grand Rapids

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It only took one match for FHC to get right back into the win column.

Just one loss made the Rangers hate losing again, so FHC just planned to stop the streak dead in its tracks. In FHC’s first game back since the tough loss to Grand Rapids Christian, the girls looked to bounce back against their crosstown rival in East Grand Rapids. It was done quite swiftly, with the Rangers winning three out of their four sets. The Rangers won the first, third, and fourth sets (25-15, 25-8, 25-19) and lost the second set 19-25.

The win was set up by the dominant, well-sequenced offense that the Rangers were able to run. Junior Averie Zaschak led the team with 18 assists for the night while also picking up 3 kills, 4 digs, and 6 receptions. The star-studded trio of seniors Sophie Shields and Brooklyn Conner with the mix of junior Sarah Dunn provided just what FHC needed last night, as these three went for a combined 27 kills, 8 aces, 1 solo block by Conner, 21 digs, 1 assist by Shields, and 24 receptions.

This was a much-needed win for the Rangers, and their offense seemed to be at almost peak performance.

“Our passing being on and in front of the 10-foot line helps me with setting up my hitters and for them to then get the easy kill,” Averie Zaschak said.

The 22-3 Rangers now move on to a big week with a tournament at Hudsonville on Saturday, October 2. This slate will have big implications for the state of Michigan, as both FHC and Hudsonville stand in the top 10. This team is battle-tested and has prepared all year for a moment like this.

“This is a huge tournament; it was important to get a win tonight so we could get comfortable running plays again, but we have to be ready for this moment,” senior Sophia Galan said.