West Chicago’s Varsity volleyball team recently ended a five-game losing streak with a 2-1 nail-biter of a victory over Glenbard East on Oct. 10.
The Varsity girls’ team put forth an solid performance against GBE Thursday evening. Before the game even started, the players invited select teachers to practice with them, running out on the court together and straight up to the net, as part of a teacher appreciation event. The Wildcats helped the teachers out throughout the warm-up, which included jumping up at the net for a block, throwing the ball, passing, and setting.
Unfortunately, the first set was not as “fun” as the warm-up, as the girls lost to Glenbard 17-25. Upset about the first set, the girls were determined to come back and try to play their best.
“We’re usually a big comeback team,” senior Emily Hanania said.
The fans knew what the girls could do and were hoping to witness a comeback on the second set, for which the girls came out with a newfound fire. They started strong, with senior Jasmyn Trigueros showing up as the backbone of the team with a total of 95 total sets, 20 being assists to a kill, all while going the whole game with 0 errors.
With a strong backbone, the team was able to maintain their lead, all while being motivated by fans and their coaches. Coach Mackenzie Bell’s faith and connection to the team was evident during each huddle, when Bell gave each player advice and cheered them on.
The whole team came together, and in one final swoop, led a push that helped the Wildcats win the second set 25-18.
“I was on my toes: I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, my heart was racing. I was so nervous, but so excited,” Hanania said of the victory.
The third and last set may have been some of the best volleyball playing the audience has witnessed this season: the girls fought hard against their opponent, relentlessly trying to prove they deserved the win. With a final score of 29-27, the West Chicago Wildcats achieved an amazing victory against Glenbard East.
“You know everyone just stepped up and knew their roles and did their jobs. Everyone was just ready to go at any time: it was awesome,” Bell said.
Top stats in the game included:
- Brielle Borner (’27) – 12 kills
- Sophia Newell (’25) – 3 aces
- Gracie Perry (’26) – 23 digs
- Jasmyn Trigueros (’25) – 20 assists
- Jasmyn Trigueros/Haylee Major (’26) – 1 blocking point
Following Thursday’s game, the team headed to Elk Grove for a tournament, but struggled against Elk Grove and Hoffman Estates.
“Our season has had a lot of ups and downs: for starters, we were on a little losing streak until our big win against GBE on Thursday, so that was definitely an up! Also, we played in a tournament this weekend, and by the end, we were down five players, but still managed to work with who we had and have fun,” junior Grace Kuehn said.
The Wildcats are currently 9-14, and looking to regain momentum at home on Tuesday against Ridgewood.
“As we get closer and closer to our match against Ridgewood, we tell ourselves to stay positive and play like the team that we know that we are – that it doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the net, but to just play as us,” Kuehn said.