Last night on September 12, the Ida B. Wells Varsity Volleyball team warmed up for their “Battle of the Birds” game against Lincoln High School. The stands quickly flooded with enthusiastic students decked out in pink ready to root them on.
As the crowd grew in size and the music got louder, you knew that the game would begin soon. The teams warmed up, and you could feel the energy in the gymnasium rising. The teams warmed up in their hot pink warm-up uniforms and pink ribbons in their hair to embrace the “pink out” theme of the night.
The buzzer goes off and the game officially begins. IBW is quick to score the first point but Lincoln is quick to follow. Within the first few minutes, the score becomes 3:3.
With both teams working tirelessly to secure the lead, the first set goes back and forth in a well-matched game. Yet the comradery seen on the IBW team was unmatched, helping to quickly secure a lead.
As #16, Nya Long, brought in the team’s sixth point of the set, they led 6:3. However, that is when Lincoln started to catch up making the score 6:6. The close game didn’t end there. IBW pulled ahead and began to get closer to the win. As IBW neared 25 points, Lincoln had a comeback and attempted to even up the score. It doesn’t prevent IBW as they quickly pull out a win, making the final score of the first set 25:17.
The student section roars with fans as they cheer for every successful play and try to throw off the Lincoln players. While Lincoln’s fan section was smaller in numbers, they didn’t hesitate to taunt and cheer throughout the course of the game. Whether they chanted, “She’s a freshman,” as their youngest players showed up with impressive plays. Or, “Never back down, never give up,” when Lincoln was close to catching up to Wells. Regardless, their enthusiasm never wavered.
The loud crowds continued into the second set as the IBW student section continued chanting for their team and showing off their twinkle fingers for good luck.
The second set started off very strong for IBW with them scoring the first four points. This set really highlighted the dynamic range of this team and highlighted some amazing plays. The IBW fans shook the stands with every point as the group of Lincoln fans tried and keep up. Before you knew it, IBW was leading the game 18:5 and wasn’t slowing down.
It appeared that Lincoln could not catch a break as IBW continued to rack up points. Even when it appeared that Lincoln might have a chance and brought the score to 20:12, it was clear that IBW already secured their lead and ultimately, their win.
While both teams showed up in white jerseys, it was clear that neither was surrendering. The teams continued to battle for the win as the set approached 23:14. They both put up a good fight in the second set, but IBW quickly ended the set at 25:14.
Crowds and players alike were amped up heading into the third set, with IBW hoping to end the game quickly. The student section began chanting “L for Lincoln,” and while the Lincoln crowd dwindled in size, their energy stayed high and it was clear they weren’t giving up easily.
The third, and final, set began with IBW securing the first point but was quickly followed by Lincoln. The score remained very close throughout the set and for every point scored, there was a comeback from the opposing team.
Eventually, IBW was able to make a small but impactful lead as they inched the score to 14:7. However, Lincoln was quick to try and catch up making the score 15:9. IBW continued to fight for the remaining points and turned the score 20:14.
As IBW got back into their stride, they easily got two more points to make the score 22:15. Lincoln worked on slowing down IBW’s lead and turned the score into 22:17.
The student section never wavered in confidence and the team worked to keep the game fun by having dance circles during timeouts. As they try to keep their head in the game, Lincoln comes back with a vengeance, attempting to even out the score. But falls short at 22:20.
You can tell IBW will not give up. And #22, Carly Straub, scores their 23rd point of the game. As their newfound momentum continued, IBW came back to win the game 25:22.
It’s no surprise that Lincoln v. Ida B. Wells games are always big, exciting events, but the Varsity Volleyball team showed no mercy last night as they went to wipe out the competition. Their energy and excitement were unmatched and you could feel the passion every player had. 
