The State High Girls Volleyball team’s undefeated tear continued when it took down Williamsport, who at the time had a two-game win streak, on Sept. 16.
The game started close for the first half of set one, which was tied up at 10. After a 6-0 run with some key aces from senior Jessie Campbell, the Little Lions took the first set. Set two was all State High, as Williamsport could not respond to the Little Lions’ major kills and blocks.
The girls’ volleyball team is 8-0 on the season and a great reason why is the team’s chemistry.
“I think that, like, the chemistry on the court is definitely a little bit better this year,” Campbell said. “I think that we’re all kind of, like, moving in the same direction for once.”
Junior Ella Doby agreed with the benefits of having great chemistry on the court.“I also think everyone is open to feedback. I don’t think anyone when we’re on the court, like, if I mess up, I want people to tell me why,” Doby said. “No one’s gonna get mad at each other.”
As set three rolled around the Little Lions were ready to sweep, but the Millionaires didn’t go down so easily. Both teams traded points back and forth and as the game progressed State High couldn’t budge Williamsport. The Millionaires only trailed by three as the game wound to an end, 14-17.
But history soon repeated itself as Campell went back to the serving line and gave State High four unanswered points in a row.
The momentum was finally swinging in State High’s favor. Doby discussed the mental side of the decisive third set.
“Well, the last game we played, I think we went in with an expectation to, like, win really quickly, or kind of sweep,” Doby said. “I think we did a better job of going in without those expectations and actually realizing that we need to work to win. And then in the third set, it was kind of just like letting, I think it was all mental, like letting mistakes get to us.”
After this run, there was no stopping the Little Lions. They went on to sweep the Millionaires by winning the third set 25-15.
The future is looking bright for this volleyball team. Campbell gave voice to the things she learned over the years, and what she hopes to teach her younger teammates.
“I think a lot of my issues from my underclassmen years was, like the whole idea of, like seniority and like thinking that you’re better than other people, and I think that, like, I’m trying to show others that, we’re kind of equals,” Campbell said.
The Little Lions are back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 25, when they take on Cumberland Valley inside the North Gym.
