On Friday, Oct. 10, the Archie Williams girls varsity volleyball team faced up against the San Marin High School Mustangs in a high-stakes home matchup with only two regular-season games remaining. With playoff energy in the air, the Falcons battled through five intense sets before ultimately falling 2-3 in a match filled with grit, teamwork, and emotional highs.

San Marin struck first, winning the opening point, but Archie Williams quickly bounced back. Strong defense helped the Falcons take an early lead, with Archie Williams senior Felicity Brown firing off a powerful kill. The Mustangs applied steady offensive pressure to pull ahead 4-5. Archie Williams sophomore Ada Nichols responded with a kill of her own, and the set remained tight at the halfway mark.

Archie Williams junior Danielle Christian ignited the Falcons’ momentum with a clutch kill that brought them to a 16-14 lead, followed by an ace. The teams stayed neck and neck all the way to a 19-19 tie. Danielle continued to rack up digs, and Archie Williams junior Lydia Battaglia launched a momentum-shifting kill, but San Marin rallied to steal the set 20-25.

”What goes through my head is just nonstop trying to get the ball up, fighting for everything,” Danielle said.

In the second set, Archie Williams senior Alyse Rosen opened strong from the service line. Archie Williams sophomore Zoe English and Lydia delivered impressive digs in a dramatic rally, and Archie Williams sophomore Gianna Altman added two kills to even the score at 6-6. Zoe and Lydia delivered powerful spikes to keep the Falcons in the fight during a long rally, but San Marin ultimately pulled ahead. Ada remained a strong defensive force at the net with multiple blocks, and Lydia’s kill sparked renewed energy in the Falcons.

The third set remained just as intense, tied at 17-17, before Zoe’s soft tip and Alyse’s precise setting allowed Lydia to deliver a massive spike. Archie Williams took the set 25-19, pulling ahead 2-1.

Despite their momentum, the Falcons struggled in the fourth. Alyse executed a clever dump early on, and Zoe smashed another kill to bring the score to 5-7, but San Marin controlled the rest of the set, winning 15-25 and forcing a fifth.

The final set opened tight, tied 1-1. Alyse showed off her defensive skills with a series of critical digs, and Zoe crushed another kill to put Archie Williams ahead 9-5. But San Marin pushed back and tied it at 9-9. Lydia broke the tie with a smart tip to the back corner, but after a back-and-forth battle, San Marin closed the set 10-15, sealing the match.

“I think our communication was really good. We just tended to get in our heads when we were losing points, but I’m most proud of our hard work and energy. It’s really hard going into five sets and still cheering, but I think we were all there for each other,” Lydia said.

Head Coach Shayna West echoed Lydia’s sentiments and touched on her pride in how the team showed up to play. She believes the team’s focus and teamwork are reflected in the effort they’ve put in throughout the season. 

“[The girls] worked really well together as a team and were really flexible, putting people in positions they don’t normally play. The way they control their emotional reactions throughout the game has gotten so much stronger,” West said.

While the match didn’t go Archie Williams’ way, the team’s fight, unity, and energy were visible throughout the night. With just two games left in the season, the Falcons look to finish strong as the playoffs approach. They look forward to their next home game Wednesday, Oct. 15, against The Branson School.