Harrisburg is a tall team, which means they have spikiers. I get a little nervous. We have to be able to block if we want to control how hard they will hit at us. I’m in the back row, the left hitter is about to hit. I have to go cross court to dig it. HIT! The ball is coming fast right to me. I received it and we get a good hard spike back to them, everyone cheers.

The momentum is on our side of the court now. Everyone is talking for the ball and are determined to get a good play. It’s my serve with a close game. Take a deep breath, get loose, do my routine. The ball goes over the net; I have to run to my spot and read the spikier that is about to hit. It’s a free ball, now I relax and get ready to cover our hitter in case she is blocked.

The first game is over and we came out with a victory. We are excited and we think one more win and we will have won the match. We have to play our second game as if we have lost our first and are coming back for revenge. Stay positive but not cocky. Pep up the team so everyone is in the spirit. Get ready for any sudden balls that come over the net. Keep the other team frustrated so they don’t do their best. No balls can hit the floor or we could lose our momentum just like that.

The other team is digging all of our spikes. We have to try something new. Tip to open spots; trick them with a hard spike. Hide the direction in which you’re aiming for the ball to go. It is working. We are pulling ahead again with the thrust helping us out a lot. The crowd is getting excited. We cannot disappoint them. The team has to stay on their toes with positive attitudes.

Harrisburg calls a time out. Our coach tells us what to expect from them and what we need to do. Everyone is listening, waiting, ready to go back out and show what we can do. The other team is getting louder, more positive, doing what they can to take the energy from us. For them it worked for the next four balls. The coach yells at us to start talking. This is getting a little nerve racking. We start passing the ball pretty decent again. Upsetting the other team and making them flustered. The game is coming closer to an end as we pull ahead in the lead. We won our match with a pretty good fight. We shake hands with the other team. They are upset and don’t look happy. They still manage to tell us good game. We are excited to get back in our huddle to listen what the coach wants to tell us about our game. We are proud of the way we played and cheer as we came across another victory. Now we wait for our next hard competition; Sioux Falls Christian.