After losing 0-3 to Lincoln on Sept. 18, the Ida B. Wells High School varsity volleyball team had high hopes for their second chance to win the “Battle of the Birds” game against their rival team on Sept. 30.
Despite their wishes, IBW lost again with the same score of 0-3. However, the repeated results do not mean a lack of improvement since the last game against Lincoln. Elise Bearden-Croft, an IBW senior, says “I think our energy was honestly better than it has been.”
Lincoln was a spirited crowd, cheering loudly and stomping their feet with each point. IBW attempted to match this—with parents yelling words of encouragement and a few JV volleyball players frequently leading the stands in various cheers.
At the start of the game, IBW gave a few points away but quickly snapped back into the game and fought hard for every ball. After many close points, IBW lost the first set by a mere 3 points (22-25) with a killer spike from Lincoln’s number 13.
Violet Bagby, a senior varsity player who is currently out with a concussion, says “[We] were playing very cohesively in the beginning.”
IBW came out passionately again in the second set. “I think we did really well on our defense,” Bagby says. In response, Lincoln picked up their energy as well. Near the end of the set, IBW began to lose steam and Lincoln won it 19-25.
Varsity Head Coach Mark Mendak says “Lincoln’s a good team, well-coached, [and] a lot of talent.”
Some notable players from game were seniors Siena Igarta, Elise Bearden-Croft and Amari Savage. Igarta brought her all. She delivered many strong spikes and remained fairly consistent throughout the game.
In the third set, there was a clear decrease in the team’s energy as a whole. Possibly due to discouragement after the results thus far or simply growing tired, players began to perform sloppier, hitting many balls out. IBW then lost the set 12-25. Mendak states that he would like to see more communication and consistency.
Similarly to the team’s playing, the spirit of IBW viewers dwindled as the game went on.
Had the team continued to play with the same vigor as the previous two sets, they may have been able to win a set or even turn the tide of the game.
However, they were able to maintain their spirit for longer than the previous game, where things took a turn after the first set rather than the second.
Olivia Castro, a senior on the team, says “we really wanted to beat Lincoln, and I think we fought really hard towards the start.”
While the team was unable to “cage the cards” this season, they put up a tough fight and carry much potential for future games. “We worked as hard as we could,” says Bearden-Croft.
IBW’s next volleyball game is against Jefferson on Thursday, Oct. 2 at Jefferson High School.
