After beating the Northview Wildcats last year 2-0, the Rangers were ready to defend their winning title. On Thursday, girls JV volleyball faced off against the Wildcats and beat them in the third set. Sophomores Cora Kelly and Emma Lohr we key hitters that helped FHC win the match. They had powerful hits that Northview couldn’t return, allowing them to gain a big lead in the first and third set.

In the first set, FHC started off strong and created a lead that the Wildcats couldn’t catch up to. Halfway through the set, the Wildcats began to find their groove and started to make a comeback. FHC was able to swing the momentum back and outscore Northview. Sophomore setter Katie Costello was an important player for the Rangers, as she set freshman Remmie Ingraham up for strong hits. Remmie and Katie worked as a duo when FHC needed them. Cora and sophomore Lilly Vanskiver also had good hits that the Wildcats couldn’t stop. With the Rangers working as a unified team, they won the first set 25-17.

In the second set the Rangers didn’t start off as well as they did in the first set; Northview was able to gain a lead that the Rangers couldn’t quite catch up to. The Rangers were trailing by only 1 point most the game. Emma’s hits, which were set up by Katie, helped them almost catch up to Northview. Sophomore Rachel Toole also had some key plays that helped FHC stay neck and neck with them. Unfortunately, the Rangers couldn’t keep up with the Wildcats anymore and they ended up losing 25-21.

In the third set, FHC started off like they did at the beginning of the match. They came out with a lot of energy and worked as a team to defeat the Wildcats. Cora had 5 of their 15 points off of hits. Katie and sophomore Lily Campbell would set Cora up, and Cora would finish the rally with a hard hit that Northview couldn’t return. In the end, the Rangers won the third set 15-8.

The Rangers had a tough battle but were able to pull through and secure the win. This match puts the JV volleyball OK White Conference record at 1-1. The Rangers will be facing off against Cedar Springs on Tuesday.