All the blood, sweat, and tears of the regular season led up to the PIAA District playoff game between the Punxsy Chucks and Keystone Panthers on November 2nd. The players said the game was hard fought, but ultimately ended in a 3-1 loss for the Lady Chucks.
Chloe Sproull, one of the six seniors on the team, said that going into the game they felt very confident in themselves and felt that they had properly prepared for the game.
“Going into the game, we were really excited about it and we thought that our chances of winning were really good.” Sproull said. “We had watched Keystone play earlier to see kind of how their style was, where they would tend to hit, and where the open spots were.”
Winning the first set with a score of 25-19, Sproull said they were playing on adrenaline and wanted to carry that excitement over into the next sets. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to keep the momentum going and ended up losing the next three in straight sets.
Eliza Neal, senior player, said that after losing the second set, they were caught off guard and couldn’t regain the momentum they once had.
“[In the second set] they really brought their best skills and we kind of got caught off guard a little,” Neal said. “From there on it was just a mental game and we got down on ourselves and we couldn’t get back up”
Heather Good, the head coach of the girls volleyball team, said that the team had worked really hard throughout the season considering the setbacks and roadblocks that came with COVID-19.
“I think overall with all the obstacles that the girls had to contend with, the outside forces dictating what we did and when we did it, I think that things went really well,” Good said.
She also mentioned that they ended their season with a record of 9-3, which is the best record they’ve had in the past few years.
Sproull said she thought it was great to have her parents and friend there to cheer her on. She also said that she is so proud of her team and feels as if they are family to her.
“We’re just a big family. We absolutely love each other and that’s not something a lot of other sports can say, especially after the season,” Sproull said. “We’re still very close with each other and we still talk with each other.”
All of the girls and Coach Good said they were looking forward to seeing how the younger generation steps up and are excited to see the future of the volleyball team. According to Good, there is a lot of talent in the Junior Varsity team, and she thinks that they will do just as well in years to come.