Sports

AWHS girls volleyball fall to Hawks in close season opener

Willy Finley, Cub Multimedia Editor|September 19, 2022

Junior Reese Fraser sets the ball for freshman Felicity Brown during the second set of Wednesday’s game.

On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Falcons varsity girls volleyball took on the Tamalpais Hawks in a nail-biter season opener. Although the Falcons played hard throughout the whole game, they fell short, losing in a five set thriller.

Both the Falcons and the Hawks began the game well. They maintained a close margin before the Hawks flew away with a 25-21 first set win.

The Falcons started the second set strong and jumped to a 14-3 lead. However, the Hawks clawed their way back and closed the deficit to four. Undaunted, the Falcons closed out the set with a comfortable 25-17 win.

Tam blockers attempt to stop senior Elsa Snipes’ spike on Wednesday at Tamalpais High School. (Leonardo Olivotti)

The third set started like the second, with the Falcons leading 11-2. The Hawks again narrowed the gap, but it was not enough as the Falcons finished the set with a 25-19 win. Halfway through the third set, senior team captain Elsa Snipes made an incredible foot save which kept the play alive and ultimately helped the Falcons win the point.

“Our hitting went well and our serving was good [in the second and third sets],” said junior Lindsey Jones.

Lindsey finished the game with a strong performance of 11 kills and three digs.

During the fourth set, the Hawks and Falcons went back and forth with a score of 6-7. The Hawks eventually broke away and extended their lead to 17-11 and never looked back, winning the set 25-16.

AWHS blockers Reese Fraser and Felicity Brown jump to block a spike. ( Leonardo Olivotti)

The fifth and final set began for the Hawks with an early four point lead. The Falcons answered back by narrowing the score to one. However, their efforts were insufficient, as the Hawks soared away with a 15-12 final set win. Despite the loss, the Falcons feel confident in the road ahead.

“Our offense could’ve been smarter. We definitely tried to go for the swing every time, when in some circumstances it was not the smart play,” Elsa said.

Junior Reese Fraser led the team with 40 assists, while Elsa led the team in kills with 22, most of them coming in the strong second and third sets. Alongside her teammates, senior libero Phoebe Galland led the team with 29 digs and four assists. Senior Lauren Barnwell provided great support with 27 digs, 10 kills, four aces and three blocks.