The varsity volleyball team defeated Chichester 3-0 on October 22, allowing them to stretch their District 1 3A playoff run.
The team dominated all three sets, winning 25-8 in the first, 25-11 in the second, and 25-7 in the third.
“We were very strong,” senior captain and outside hitter Lauren McGinn said. “We came in and got it done right away.”
Their strong offense and defense also came from effective team chemistry, communication, and motivation.
“The effort was crazy, and I think it was so much fun,” McGinn said. “Everyone was doing their part. The passes were there, the sets were there, the hits were there, and we were able to play as a team.”
Head coach Mary Kirchner also noted that their practice, focus, and constant improvement helped them play well.
“Chichester came out ready to play, but we were locked in, and we were doing everything that we had been practicing,” she said. “They were putting that into the game today, so things that we worked on in practice yesterday that maybe wasn’t going so well, they were able to execute today during the game. I was really proud of them.”
Seniors Mali Rao and Stephanie Moyer, and junior Charlotte Thase played effective serves. Junior Eliza Jauregui and senior Violet Abrahamsson also played powerful spikes, which helped the team gain points quickly.
“[There were] some pretty crazy hits that we all got super excited about,” McGinn said.
The team’s goal is to continue to play well and move forward towards District Championships.
“It’s awesome that we have a home game for the second round of playoffs, and we just need to bring it like we did tonight,” Kirchner said. “Like not letting any little mistake get us down, [and] we can’t afford to lose a couple of points in a row.”
The Panthers will host Radnor for their second playoff game on Thursday, October 24.
