The West Chicago Community High School girls volleyball team lost to Palatine High School on Aug. 27 at home.
Both teams entered the match with momentum. The Pirates came out strong offensively, while the Wildcats leaned on defense. The teams kept each other on their toes.
Despite their efforts, the Wildcats could not keep up in the first set, which ended 25-5.
“The first set was a lot of errors on our side and we just had to limit those,” senior Taylor Frake said. “Once we limited them we were able to hang with them and we were able to compete with them as we saw in the second set.”
Although the Pirates scored the first point of the second set, the Wildcats did not give up. Senior Gracie Perry brought energy back to the court by serving three straight points, including an ace. Frake followed with a powerful spike that elevated the team’s energy.
The two teams went back and forth in points, keeping the score close. The Wildcats pulled away to win the set 25-20.
After the comeback, the Wildcats and their fans had high hopes. The third set was again a battle of points, and the players refused to let mistakes affect their play.
“We are really making an effort to stay positive this season, and we definitely proved that last night by not getting down on ourselves when there were so many opportunities for us to do so,” senior Grace Kuehn said.
The Wildcats supported each other during every rally. If one player made a mistake, another teammate often turned it into a point. Junior Brielle Borner contributed several blocks at the net.
West Chicago dropped the final set 25-17, giving Palatine the win. But the match still showed signs of a promising season.
“After we talked in our huddle after the first set, it was a lot of positive feedback,” Frake said.
That encouragement carried into the rest of the match, something her teammates noticed as well.
“I think that our game was definitely proof of how much of a comeback team we are, and how much capability we have, no matter what we have shown in the past,” Kuehn said.