Yesterday afternoon, the girls freshman volleyball team faced off against Forest Hills Eastern and Forest Hills Northern at the Battle of the Hills tournament, hosted by FHC. The Lady Rangers came out with grit and swept both teams, going 2-0.

The Rangers started off lethargic within the first set against Forest Hills Northern. This created a collection of serve receive errors, which put the Rangers behind quickly. Shrinking the large deficit, the momentum was quickly brought back into the game by captain Emma Costello. She helped tremendously by picking apart parts of Northern’s defense with her smart attacking as well as giving great effort on the defensive side. However, they fell 25-20 in the first set.

With high energy and efficient attackers all around, the second set started off in the Rangers’ favor. Captain Ally Werkema became very aggressive and got several kills that put the Rangers ahead in the second set 25-20.  Due to their domination in serving, the Rangers got ahead early in the third set. Ella Hunnewell was a great addition to the starting 6. Her smart attacking helped to generate several kills with well-placed tips. Also, the middles Ellie Lataski and Maya Hosler connected on quick attacks. The Lady Rangers won the last set 15-12.

Next, the Rangers went up against Forest Hills Eastern.  The high energy and momentum from the last two sets were carried into this match. Ellie Latunski had an 8 point serving run that pushed FHC ahead early. Emma Costello once again served as a key player. She dominated every ball she touched offensively. As well as on defense, she read Eastern’s attackers and dug anything she could get her hands on. Sydney Bacon contributed on the right side, having some exceptional attacks. The Rangers won the first set 25-18.

Similarly to the first set, Ellie left a tremendous impact serving. Addy Scholten all around was phenomenal. Her serve and receive were unmatched. On the other end, her offensive game was smart and precise. Setters Cadence Anguiano and Ally Werkema became very aggressive and effective sending tips Easterns’ way. The Lady Rangers won this match within just two sets, winning the second 25-22.

Overall, the Rangers had a fantastic night at The Battle of the Hills.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my team and their resiliency!” said head coach Bri Tilton.

Next up, the freshman girls volleyball team plays its first conference game on Tuesday, September 17th at Cedar Springs.