By TYLER CASHMAN
Staff Writer
On October 21, the University High School (UHS) girls volleyball team faced off against Woodbridge High School (WHS) in the UHS gym for the Pink Out Game of the Week. After a hard fought five matches, the Trojans fell to the Warriors 2-3, bringing UHS’s season record to 1-5. The Trojan Army was encouraged to wear as much pink as possible, and pink balloons were scattered throughout the stands to “pink out” the gym.
The two teams started the game off extremely strong, both playing aggressively and battling hard for every point. Though UHS trailed behind WHS for the majority of the first set, the Trojans were able to maintain a close score with effective serves and kills. UHS kept the game alive, bringing the set to a tie at 25 points. UHS kept the momentum going and was able to scrap together the last couple of points to take the first game 27-25. Outside hitter and captain Cali Fuller (Sr.) continued her strong performance with numerous kills in the night. However, in the second set, WHS had several impressive kills that UHS’s defensive specialists Ashley Kim (So.) and Klaire Thoman (Fr.) were unable to pick up. The Trojans were unable to pull through in the second set and were defeated 21-15, bringing the game to a third set. The third set was another close match. The Trojans regained their momentum and pulled through to secure a hard fought victory 25-23. UHS put up a strong defensive performance and had several big blocks, giving the Trojans an advantage heading into the fourth set. Unfortunately, the Trojans fell short in each of the last two sets. UHS and WHS battled back and forth, playing out several rallies. The last two sets of the game were tough, but Uni fell just short in each set. The Warriors’ powerful offense helped WHS rally to a win. WHS won the fourth set 25-17 and closed out the game with a 15-11 win in the last set.
Defensive duo Thoman and Kim was able to dig several hits throughout the match, keeping UHS alive on a number of occasions. Middle Camryn Keyes (Jr.) was huge around the net, blocking hit after hit.
Despite the lost, Idene Abhari (Jr.) remained optimistic and was complimentary towards the team. She said, “Our team was really proud and supportive of each other because we knew we gave an amazing effort and the match was close and competitive throughout all five games.”
The Trojans hope to turn their season record around at the next girls volleyball match on Thursday, October 23 against Beckman High School.