This season for the varsity girls volleyball team has had its ups and downs. Unfortunately for the Knights, heading into the final game of the regular season, they had been riding a four game losing streak. Maybe it was sloppy defense, maybe it was facing some tough teams, but either way, one thing was for sure: the streak needed to end before districts. And the girls had the opportunity to do that at St. Charles on October 12.

“I think our main focus for the game was positivity,” junior Payton Stephenson said, “our last few games, we’ve been on a losing streak, so our main focus was to just stay focused and get excited, because it’s our last regular season game.”

The first set was neck and neck the whole way. As soon as one team got a small lead going, the other team would come surging back to tie it up again. Both teams were fighting hard, making diving saves, running across the court to hit the ball, no team wanted to give up points. The crowd and players erupted after nearly every point. After Saint Charles was only one point away from winning the set, the Knights took a timeout. After that, the Knights went on to win three straight points and take the first set, 27-25.

“I think winning that set kind of gave us that feeling that we know we could do it and we knew we fought hard,” sophomore Josie Santel said.

The second set started off just like the first set, with nobody getting very far out-front before the other team would come back and tie it. As the Knights led 15-13, the Pirates decided to take a timeout. After that timeout, the Knights kicked it up a gear and did something neither team was able to do throughout the match: get on a tear. The Knights were able to pack up the game as they went on to beat the Pirates 25-18. The streak was over. They ended their season on a high note, and hopefully, they can keep this confidence heading into the district tournament starting next Tuesday at Parkway Central.

“I think it’s [this game] really going to boost our confidence for next week with our districts,” Stephenson said, “hopefully this will bring up our attitudes and get us ready for next week.”