“We need to treat every game like we’re playing Drip,” senior Janael Copeland said after the varsity Knights beat the Northeast Raiders 3-0 last Tuesday.

Soon after, the team defeated Travis with another 3-0 victory, adding the seventh match to their winning streak and solidifying their fifth conference win in a row. Tomorrow, after over a month of playing as if they were up against Dripping Springs, the Knights will take on the also-undefeated-in-district Tigers in an away game at 6:30 p.m.

“We have worked really hard during practice and have been mentally preparing for this match,” junior captain Preslie Boswell said. “We know how they like to play.”

Senior captain Shaine Rozman agreed.

“We’ve been setting goals for this game,” she said. “It’s something we’ve been anticipating all season and we’re excited to see how it goes.”

Last year, the team was defeated in straight sets both at home and at Dripping Springs.

“We actually started off really well [in the first match],” head coach Amy Brodbeck said. “But then they dominated us, and they really dominated us when we went [to the away game].”

In fact, no 2018-2019 McCallum varsity team was able to defeat the Tigers until the girls soccer team did so in March. The baseball team also defeated Drip in April. The volleyball team hopes that this year will be their turn to tame the Tigers.

“[Dripping Springs] went to state last year and lost in the semi-finals, so they are a fantastic team,” Brodbeck said. “But this year, I think we can challenge them. Our team is quicker, faster and if we are on the same pace as we were on Friday night [against Travis], we should be deadly.”

To prepare for this game, the team has worked on running a fast-paced offense, meaning they transition quickly from defense to offense with a well-aimed pass in order to limit their opponent’s reaction time.

“If we run slow offense, it’s easier for [the other team] to block or to pick up,” Brodbeck said. “[Dripping Springs players are] going to be good servers, so we need to make sure our passes are on target.”

When asked about the difference between this year’s team and those previously, many players, including Copeland, credit the team’s unique bond.

“I think everyone is a lot closer this year,” she said. “We have just improved a lot. We’re at the top of our game.”

Copeland’s assessment is affirmed by the team’s perfect district record so far. According to Brodbeck, the record has built up the team’s confidence, excitement and nervousness levels.

“There are going to be nerves,” she said. “But the excitement of playing a team where we know they’re good but that we can play at the same level and possibly take the win … we’re excited about that.”

The Knights will leave McCallum during eighth period tomorrow to travel to Dripping Springs in time for the JV and freshman A teams to start their matches at 5:30 p.m. Though the stakes are high, the Knights are determined to upgrade their district record to 6-0.

“Drip will definitely be the biggest challenge in our season,” junior Samantha Wilson said. “We are going to go into the game with confidence. I think our team has a high level of play and can compete with them. It will be a tough game, but we are there for a win.”

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