On Thursday, Oct. 6, the AWHS Falcons girls varsity volleyball clashed with the Terra Linda Trojans on the Falcons’ own turf. The Falcons have had their ups and downs so far this season, but with the help of energetic fans, the Falcons were able to take a 3-0 set win.

Starting the game, the Falcons and Trojans duked it out in a back-and-forth battle. The Falcons felt the nerves early on as the Homecoming crowd roared throughout the gym. Once the Falcons settled in, they went on a 10-4 run, eventually winning the set 25-20. 

“We really focused on our serve and serve receive because last game, those were our biggest letdowns. So we persevered and worked together as a team to get through it,” said senior libero Phoebe Galland.

The Falcons still seemed to struggle to get into a real groove in the beginning of the second set, with the Trojans taking an early 10-7 lead. However, senior captain Elsa Snipes took control of the set for the Falcons, who won 25-17.

“Elsa had some pretty major putaways, [which] really changed the whole energy for us,” girls varsity volleyball coach Lisa Hudson said.

Looking for a clean sweep and an early finish, the Falcons jumped out the gate to a 10-4 lead in the third set. However, the Trojans crept back into the set. To finish off the match, the Falcons focused on improving their offensive showing, ultimately taking the final set 26-24. “We made some unforced errors in the last two sets that made the game a lot tighter than it needed to be. The errors went back to our passing and serving,” Hudson said.

Elsa and junior Reese Fraser soared the highest among their Falcon teammates. Elsa added on to her already impressive season with 21 kills and nine digs, while Reese ended the match with 18 assists and 10 kills.  

“Definitely having those big kills by Elsa Snipes and Reese Fraser were key turning points that allowed us to put this one away,” Phoebe said. “All this win means for us is that we are in first place and need to win next week against San Marino.”

The Falcons will play next in Novato at San Marin High School Wednesday, Oct. 12, eager to improve their record ahead of the MCAL playoffs.