By Stephanie Zwick
The Lady Badger volleyball teams had an exciting night against Rye, starting with a strong performance from the freshmen. Across the two sets, Lexi Harrold delivered ace serves and solid kills, while Kendall Davis stepped in as setter and added ace serves, kills, and well-placed tips to energize the team. Tristan Davis also contributed ace serves, and Kasey Aquino gave the Badgers a major lift with three consecutive aces. The freshmen took both sets, winning 25-18 and 25-20.
The JV match told a different story, though the Badgers still showed plenty of bright spots. Lexi Harrold provided strong blocking, Kendall Davis added ace serves, and the team kept several rallies alive with some solid volley action. Elizabeth Brannon served two consecutive aces, and Faith Fulton added a couple of aces of her own. Even with those efforts, Rye edged out the Badgers in the first set, 25-23.
In the second JV set, Molly Wienstroer, Kendall Davis, and Reagan Shinzel each helped the Badgers with ace serves. The team continued to battle through long rallies, but miscommunication and timing issues made it difficult to gain momentum. Those are areas this young team is still working through, and Rye took advantage late to win the set 25-20.
The varsity match brought the energy back in favor of the Badgers. In the first set, the team worked through a few early off-target spikes while finding its footing at the net. Sophia McCormick helped dial in the kill zone, and the Badgers paired strong rallies with better timing as the set went on. That steady play pushed them to a 25-21 win.
Set two featured even more back-and-forth action, with both teams showing strong digs, well-timed passing, clean sets, and aggressive swings. McCormick continued to have a big night in kills, while Tinsley Malcom added ace serves for the Badgers. The team kept control of the pace and quickly pulled away from the Rye Thunderbolts, winning the set 25-16.
In the third set, the Lady Badgers started strong with two quick kills, several good saves, and steady hitting. Rye warmed up and built a 10-4 lead, but after a brief timeout, the Badgers returned with renewed fire. Braelyn Malcom made a great save that turned into a kill when she popped the ball over the net where Rye was not ready, then followed it with more strong volley action and another huge kill. McCormick also stayed locked in, adding three more kills to her total for the evening. The Badgers completed the comeback, winning 25-17 and taking the varsity match in three sets.
The win is a huge confidence booster for the Lady Badgers as they continue to fine-tune their rotations and hitting. Those adjustments will keep coming as the season progresses, but their season is already off to a strong start.