Issaquah Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball team defeated Issaquah’s rival Skyline this Monday, Oct. 7. They played three rigorous games to 25 points and won all three. Issaquah girls dominated all three games and easily won the first two games with scores of 25 to 17 and 25 to 7. The last game they struggled for a bit. Head Coach Julie Hartel said, “We jumped out to a lead early in the first set, but then faced a tough Skyline server and she was able to close the gap a little bit.” Issaquah eventually took the lead once they got the ball back, and won the match 25 to 22. The girls’ energy, skill, and most importantly teamwork, won them the game. Issaquah was overall a smarter, quicker, and more athletic team. Every single player impacted the game, especially freshman Ella Wimmer, who scored many points for her team. Junior Kelly Hruza served outstanding serves throughout the game.

Sophomore Claire Hein said, “To prepare for this game we have daily practices, every week and our coach pushes us really hard to try our best in practice, try different drills and prepare for the unexpected.” The Issaquah girls were ready and prepared for anything that may cross their path. Hartel says, “We prepare for every match as if the team we face is the best team out there.” Although they did have some struggles throughout the game, Hein said, “We need to communicate more as a team.” They were able to pull together and cruise to victory. There was some miscommunication on the team that cost them some points, but in the end they figured it out and gained their confidence back. The Issaquah JV girls are very happy with this outcome and, according to sophomore Gabrielle Inman, “We were hoping for it. We don’t really expect that we are gonna win every single time. We just go out there and play our best.” Due to the Issaquah girls’ teamwork and agility, they were able to easily defeat their rival. This win takes the team to a new record of 8 wins and 0 losses.