The lady Patriots volleyball team won their sixth match of the season against Hallandale in straight sets Thursday Sep. 13. With eight winning serves by sophomore Juliana Holifield and consistent setting from junior Isabel De Allende Silva, the team prevailed 7 – 1 heading into their first timeout.
The first serve after the game resumed fell into the net, giving the point to Hallandale. Defensive specialist or libero, senior Lillian Acosta, then made her way onto the court for the first time this game. After 2 dives by Acosta and 3 serves from junior Isabella Calle, the Patriots headed into their second timeout leading 17 – 7. Sophomore Yakira Wardlaw led the first serve when play resumed, following a set by Silva that gave Holifield a chance to spike the ball into the left corner of the opposing side, pushing the score to 21- 9. Acosta led the team to the final point of the set and served the ball into play. Silva set the ball from the outer upper right hand side of the court, passing it back to senior Daniela Jamie, giving her enough leverage to execute a spike that resulted in a touch from the opposing side. The winning point left the first set at a final score of 25 – 12.
The second set was met with many of the same strategies used in the first. With Silva executing outside hits, an ace by Holifield, and digs by Calle, the second set came to a close, with Heritage in the lead 25 – 16.
This led into the volleyball team’s serving contest, where people in the bleachers were given a chance to showcase their volleyball serving skills. The contest was put in place to get friends and family who viewed from the sidelines a chance to contribute to the school spirit and have a fun time with the game. Contest members had to serve the volleyball into one of the eight hula hoops scattered on the floor on the other side of the net in order to win a prize. Although most of the serves did not make it to the other side, there was one winner who won a Heritage pride t-shirt.
Moving into the final set, a dig by Calle set into motion a spike by freshman Jade Kim that put the Patriots in the lead 19 – 9. With 6 points left in the game, multiple spikes by Jamie and saves by Acosta led them to the final point where a serve by Wardlaw won them the game with a final score of 25 – 18.
