Mike Vukovcan After getting their feet wet and learning a new sport and how to compete, the Hopewell girl’s 7th grade volleyball team is on a roll.
Last week, they scored two impressive wins over Eden Christian Academy and Montour and continued their winning ways today.
The Lady Vikings 7th graders took on a solid South Fayette program and came away with a victory, their 3rd consecutive win. Hopewell won the first set 25-17 and followed that up with a 25-20 win in the second set.
It was a total team win, as is always the case in the sport of volleyball, but three 7th graders that had outstanding matches were Sam Holsinger, Brooke Otto and Arionna Shell. Holsinger had another strong outing from the serve line with 6 aces, followed by Otto with 5 and Shell with 4.
Taking a look at the 8th graders match, it was a case of not playing your best combined with taking on a very good team. When those two things are the case, it’s going to be difficult to win, which Hopewell didn’t. South ok Fayette won the first set 25-17 and followed that up by winning 25-16 in the second set.
Hopewell wasn’t able to get much when serving, only recording 7 aces in 34 attempts. Lillian Otto, Abby Babinsack and Lilianna Katcher each recorded 2 aces.
After the match, Vikings Sports Now got some comments from Hopewell head volleyball coach Terry Borkovic.
“The 7th grade team had a very impressive win over South Fayette,” Borkovic told VSN. “The team was solid in all phases of the game- serving, serve receive, and attacking. Sammi Holsinger had a number of service runs. Brooke Otto did a fantastic job in back court defense with some impressive digs. The seventh graders put together a total team effort to help secure the win.”
“The 8th grade team has been struggling of late. Serving and serve receive are the two areas the team needs to improve on. The physical effort is there. Their attitudes are positive. I feel that they are on the verge of a breakthrough. A win against one of the better teams in the conference will do wonders for their confidence. They are competitive against every team.”
“Defensive specialist, Lilianna Katcher has been a pleasant surprise. She works hard and strives to improve each day in practice and matches. Ava Ray, Libero, is a bundle of energy and helps the team stay competitive with passing and digging skills. Abby Babinsack and Lily Enders have been impressive with their front row attacking. We are heading into the home stretch of the season. The girls will play seven matches in ten days with a season ending match against Fort Cherry at home on March 19. I’m having fun! Yeah, more wins would be nice, but the girls are working hard and they bring positive energy. What more could a coach ask for?”
The Hopewell Junior High Volleyball program returns to action on Friday as they travel to Quaker Valley.
