After getting second place at the Arlington tournament, the Lady Wildcats returned to school Monday morning to prepare for the game at home against McKinney Boyd Tuesday evening. I’ve never seen a crowd, specifically a crowd of senior boys, more supportive of a volleyball game in my life. This week, the players each recognized their favorite teachers before the start of the game, sparking the start to the most exciting and dramatic game I’ve ever witnessed. They ran onto the court with loud music blasting and their loyal fans cheering. Their confidence and morale was high during warm-up.
The starters for the game included seniors Madison Morell, Sam Seal, Audrey Landry and juniors Natalie Fazio and Kylie Long. This lineup was similar to the previous game’s, and the use of those same players worked to their advantage because their defense was stronger and quicker at the start of the game. The first point was made by a powerful block from Fazio and junior Aubrey Davis. The crowd roared with uncapped enthusiasm. There was a large group of senior boys in the audience who showed immeasurable Plano pride. Senior Jason Galante ran around the court screaming and waving maroon flags in support of the girls. They shouted “Pla-no Pla-no” encouragingly to the players during the first period. They ended the first match on a good note, leaving their opponents in the dust.
The defense was much better than last week’s, so not many points were scored in the other team’s favor. Besides, most of the balls hit by Boyd went out of bounds. Davis entered the game again during the second period and made several kills, bringing the score for Plano up to 25. The first half of the game was full of high-energy volleying and excitement, but as they entered into the last half, their energy dwindled and the players began to lose focus.
Sitting in the stands, I noticed that the players that started the game were still playing; for example, Landry was in a good majority of the game and fought hard to keep the team going. Another block by Fazio and Davis brought the crowd to its feet. After several silly mistakes, their momentum began to slow. The opponents began to gain points, eventually getting ahead of Plano. Morell returned to the game and had many great blocks and hits. The home crowd rose to its feet and shouted “we believe” in the hopes of keeping the team’s spirit alive.
During the final period, senior Ally Birkett and junior Haley Harrison were put in to bring some energy back into the game. In the last few minutes of the game, adrenaline was high and support for the team was even more intense. The opponent gained on them and defeated them in the fifth period. Plano ended up winning two of the five matches. The game lasted over two hours – the longest game I’ve ever sat through. Two hours and 15 minutes of sheer anxiety.
Check back here every week for Plano sports updates.
2012 Varsity Schedule:
9/28 @ East 6:00
10/2 @ HOME vs West 7:00 – Pink out
10/5 @ Allen 6:00
10/9 @ Mckinney 7:00
10/12 @ Mckinney Boyd 7:00
10/16 @ HOME 7:00 – feeder school night
10/19 @ West 5:00 – Homecoming
10/23 @ HOME 7:00 – senior night
