On Thursday, October 5, the State College Little Lions girls volleyball team took on the Red Land Patriots, who have yet to win a game this season. The Lions were 6-2 going into the match. Students and fans packed the stands wearing pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. October is a month dedicated to spreading awareness for breast cancer. The volleyball team decided to support the cause by playing a game in honor of all who have been affected by it.

The State College Volleyball team is full of young players, with 13 out of 26 of the players being freshmen. Junior Leah Henderson has been a great mentor for the newer players. “I have been able to help out the underclassmen by just being a leader on and off the court,” Henderson said. There is only one senior on the team so the juniors have had to step up and become leaders for the lowerclassmen. “The upperclassmen are assigned as mentors for a couple underclassmen each year,” Henderson said. “This allows us to have specific players on the team we can really focus in on and show them the ropes whether it’s school or volleyball related.” Freshman Ariana Angus has gained a lot from the upperclassmen. “I’ve learned a lot from the upperclassmen this year, and it’s very beneficial to have them as mentors because it makes things easier and I am able to learn a lot from them,” Angus said.

The team’s upperclassmen leadership helped them on Thursday against the Patriots as both the junior varsity and varsity won their match in straight sets. The fans in pink brought a lot of energy and made a difference in the outcome of the game. “It’s definitely a different atmosphere to be in when everyone is wearing pink rather than maroon and grey,” Henderson said. The Lions improved to 7-2 on the year. They hope to use this win as momentum as they finish out the rest of the season.