The Whippet Volleyball Program honored their Senior class this past Tuesday night before their match against Monroe. Mya Graves-Koran, Sydney Schilt, Peyton Clark, Kaia Jones, and Danika Larson were honored with speeches from their Junior teammates. Their dedication, determination, leadership abilities, kindness, and examples of what it means to be a true Whippet were highlighted. Each one of them has set an example for us to follow and we are so thankful for their dedication to our team and program.
After the tribute, the Varsity squad followed with their best performance to date. Falling in a 5-set thriller (25-21, 24-26, 26-24, 24-26, 11-15), the athletes showed grit and determination battling with the visiting Cheesemakers. Having a breakout performance was Sophomore Emery Kachel who led with 6 kills and 1 block on the night. “We decided to switch our offense and work on a 6-2 to get Emery on the right side for us. We knew she had the potential to be an offensive threat, and her blocking on defense is what we hoped would develop. Tonight, she showed her hard work is paying off.”
Sydney Schilt came through with 5 kills, 5 aces, and 3 blocks on the night. “Sydney has moved into a setter and hitter role for us. She took on that role without hesitation and has led by her example. We are proud of how she is leading our team.”
Down 17-24 in set three, Emi Islas came in to serve. Through sheer determination, supported by her teammates who dug in on defense, the Whippets came back to win that set 26-24. “This was the first time this season that our team showed sheer grit to come from behind and win that set. Our backs were against the wall, and we showed our true potential. It was a huge step forward for us!”
Additional stat leaders on the night included Junior Maddie Morton with 3 blocks. “Maddie is showing her potential at Middle Blocker. She has improved so much throughout the season and is becoming a defensive threat for us.”
Freshman Jasmine Kilar came through with 23 digs on the night. “Jasmine just works on defense. She goes after every ball and has a keen sense of reading hitters. While she is still very young, her volleyball IQ just keeps growing.”
Mya Graves-Koran dished out 9 assists and added 4 aces. “Mya continues to lead us on offense. She is working hard on defense, and it is showing!”
While the Whippets ended up losing in a 5-set match, there was nothing to hang our heads about. “This match showed what we are developing here. The athletes worked hard from start to finish. They never gave up and showed just how much we have improved this season. We were proud of their effort tonight!”
JV1 and JV2 continue to improve each night! JV2 coach Tori Miller stated, “We played well in all three sets. We are getting better at reading on defense and communicating as a team. Our bench was loud, and everyone stayed positive!”
JV2 coach Ariel Feiertag stated, “We are getting better at moving our feet to get into the right spots, and our communication continues to get stronger. We are definitely getting better at working toward three hits and being aggressive with our third hit over the net.”
The Volleyball Program looks to travel to Jefferson on Thursday, October 2 for another conference matchup.
Article and Photos Courtesy of Mary Kilar
