The girls varsity volleyball team started the 2022 season off with a win against Shawnee Mission Northwest. Head coach Molly Haggerty explained the significance of the success for this new team.

“With only a week under our belts of knowing our teams, practicing together and learning about each other, I think it just kind of gives you that little piece of confidence to roll into next week,” Haggerty said. “There’s no off nights in our league, we play somebody tough every single night, so just a little piece of confidence as we try to snowball it through the season is really important.” 

Having had only since the beginning of the school year to practice with the entire team, Haggerty shared how they maximized their prep time. 

“We’ve been running really fast-paced practices. We’ve been talking a lot about coming in calm, [and] really looking to each other in moments where it’s chaotic,” Haggerty said. 

After losing the first set of the match, 25-15, sophomore Summer Anderson said the team shifted its mindset in order to make a comeback. 

“I think we were all a little disappointed in losing. So we changed our mindset to be more positive toward each other. We just picked each other up more than like critiquing each other,” Anderson said. 

Throughout the entirety of the game, the student section chanted and cheered for its players. Anderson said she heard students cheer for her throughout the game, which she said made her feel more confident in her abilities. Junior Lainie Douglas commented on the effects of the similar encouragement she received from the student section. 

“It feels so good. Like, I think it just brings you up to know that no matter what you do, your school is always gonna have your back,” Douglas said. 

While reflecting on the game, Douglas also shared how this win has boosted the confidence for the players. 

“I think [winning] shows that our team can do what we put our mind to. Even if we don’t start off good, we can still finish good,” Douglas said. 

In similar spirits, Haggerty expressed her excitement with how her team members played and for the support of the fans. 

“[I am] super proud of the girls for how they answered and how they responded,” Haggerty said. “And again, another huge thanks to the fan section and the students, they were great.”