Volleyball was the only game in town Friday night for both undefeated varsity teams that met at the McCallum gym. With the football Knights on a bye week, the McCallum volleyball program chose Friday night for its Student Night. Their opponent–the Ann Richards Stars–have no football team or any boys for that matter, so volleyball is truly the only fall game in town.

The singular nature of the game, plus the fact that it was a rematch made it an electric night. The stands were filled with fans and cheer squads from both teams. And the crowd cheered loudly after every point. The only question was which side of the gym the cheers would come from.

All three games were highly competitive and won … and lost … by razor thin margins. The freshman A Knights edged the Stars in a tense tiebreaker, and the JV Stars did the same. The varsity Knights roared to a first set victory behind winning 11 straight service points on the serve of junior Jordyn Berger, but the Stars regrouped and rallied from there to win the next three sets and the match.

It was a sad ending to a great night of volleyball if you were routing for the home team. Nonetheless, we are pleased to share a selection of photos from Friday’s games and the charged atmosphere in the stands, in this week’s Tuesday Top 10.

If there was a Grammy Award for Best Volleyball Pregame National Anthem Performance, the dynamic duo of Adair and Rosholt would surely be among the finalists. We recorded the performance so you can judge for yourself, but if the crowd response is any indication, the pair is already a fan favorite. Video by Dave Winter.

JUMPING FOR JOY: Freshman Co-captain Lyla Manners celebrates with her team after the group secured victory. The Knights lost the first set 25-17, but reclaimed the second set with scores of 25-23 and 15-13.

Additionally, the Friday game was student night, and Manners felt the size of the crowd, combined with the school they were playing, Ann Richards, made the anticipation that much greater. 

“Before the game everyone was feeling nervous and excited to play,” Manners said. “We knew it was going to be a close game.”

Manners said the crowd boosted the energy and helped keep the team going.

“I think it made the team play better knowing we had people cheering for us,” Manners said. 

Caption by Priya Thoppil. Photo by Julia Copas.

Freshman coach Catherine O’Neal celebrates with her team after beating Ann Richards in the first game of the night. O’Neal was her characteristic self on the sidelines of the match, staying unwaveringly positive and upbeat, win or lose. Luckily, her comeback freshmen rallied to win their game, 2-1. Photo by Dave Winter.

JV GAME FILLED WITH UPS AND DOWNS: The JV Knights huddle to celebrate their second-set victory Friday night in their home gym. Despite this celebratory moment, the Knights ultimately lost an agonizingly close match against the Ann Richards Stars. The Knights lost the first set, 27-25, but found enough momentum to win the second set, 25-22. It was a very close battle right up until the end, but ultimately the Knights lost the third set 16-14.

Sophomore Isa Urbina knew going into this game, that this was going to be no easy battle. 

“We’ve had so many games lately, and everyone was really tired,” Urbina said. “But we were energetic and eager for this game.” 

During the game, Urbina was able to help the Knights on the court through motivation and leadership. 

“The highlight of the game was getting to play all around,” Urbina said. “I feel like my coach trusted me, and it was nice helping my team out.” 

This game was also student night, which helped bring even more energy into the gym and fueled the players. 

“It was nice for people to come to our games,” Urbina said. 

Even though this game left Urbina and the rest of the team in frustration, they are proud of all of the effort that they put in. The team is better prepared now and eager to beat the Stars when they go up against them again in the rematch in their gym. 

“I am just happy we gave it our all,” Urbina said. “Now we know what to do to beat them next time.”

Caption by Chloe-Seckar Martinez. Photo by Julia Copas. 

JACKSON-WOODS RISES TO THE OCCASION: Sophomore Kafia Jackson-Woods soars above the net to win a key point in the JV Knights’ victory in the second set of their match with the Stars. 

 After dropping a tight first set 27-25, the JV Knights rallied to win the second set, 25-22. They rallied again to tie the tiebreaker set at 14 before dropping the final two points of the match after failing to complete several key digs. With the 16-14 tiebreaker win, the Stars won the JV match, 2-1.

Although the Knights eventually lost the match, Jackson-Woods felt that the team stayed motivated and calm throughout the game.

“Everybody was trying their hardest and going for everything,” Jackson-Woods said. “We were staying composed, communicating, and making sure that everyone was getting the ball.”

Communication was also a key-factor in staying close to the Stars throughout the competition.

“We were really talking and saying what to do,” Jackson-Woods said. “The main key was communicating.”

Caption by Evelyn Jenkins. Photo by Dave Winter.

While JV coach Tricia Hughes high fives her players in the hype line before the game, her 7-year-old daughter, Kinsley, does the same behind the line. She surprised her mom when she suddenly appeared at the end of the line. The matching light-up shoes made the moment even more memorable. Photo by Dave Winter.

Junior Sophie Koch runs out for the varsity player’s black light entrance.  After greeting and high-fiving her head coach Amy Brodbeck, Koch ran to the other side to shake hands with the Stars’ head coach, Meg Brown. Photo by Dave Winter.

CARLSON CROSSES: Junior Co-captain Greta Carlson hits a cross during last Friday’s game against Ann Richards. At the game, the Knights won the first set 25-15, but the Stars won the match by taking the next three sets, 25-16, 25-23 and 25-21.

Carlson was disappointed, and felt the team didn’t play to its potential. 

“I knew we could play at a higher level, and I felt like we didn’t do that in the game,” Carlson said. 

Although the loss was a bit of a setback for the team, it also served as a factor to push them to do better. 

”It kind of lights a fire in your blood when you lose to a team you know you could have beat,” Carlson said. “It makes me want to work on what we need to improve on against Ann Richards, so that when we play them again we’ll win.”

Caption by JoJo Barnard. Photo by Dave Winter.

BERGER SERVES: Junior Jordyn Berger served 11 straight service points in a row in the first set of Friday night’s match against Ann Richards. Berger’s dominant serving led to a momentum which helped the Knights to win the first set, even though the game’s victory ultimately went to the Stars.

“We had a lot of energy, but then we kind of lost it later on because everybody just got tired,” Berger said.

Berger, a key player on Mac’s volleyball and softball teams, moved to Waco over the weekend, starting her first day at Midway High School today. She moved from Georgetown to play volleyball and softball with the Knights during her sophomore year, and she reflected on her McCallum volleyball career. 

“It was my first time ever being on varsity,” Berger said. “I got to experience a lot of being with new players and being with a new coach. It helped me open my eyes.” 

Berger shared some of the knowledge that she gained from her time at McCallum after this eye-opening event. 

“I learned that I need to be more confident, and I need to be louder on the court and use my voice more,” Berger said. “And that everyone makes mistakes.”

Berger leads the team in service aces for the season with 71.

Caption by Camilla Vandegrift with reporting by Julia Copas. Photo by Dave Winter.

BUMP! SET! SPIKE!: Seniors Nico Sanchez, Sam Stevens and Cal Geisler hold signs up high to showcase their support for the volleyball teams. The three were handed the signs by cheerleaders, and held them proudly, accompanied by loud cheers, which altogether was Sanchez’s favorite part of the event. 

“Holding the sign helped me be more engaged in the game,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez made sure to be attentive, and give volleyball the attention he thinks all school sports deserve.

“Watching our sports team is fun because of the environment it provides,” Sanchez said. “Plus, I want to show support for other teams because I want that kind of support when baseball season starts.” 

Caption by JoJo Barnard. Photo by Francie Wilhelm.

GAME GETS INTENSE: The crowd watches intently as junior co-captain Greta Carlson rears up for a spike during the third set of an intense varsity matchup with Ann Richards last Friday evening. Despite displaying an impressive level of prowess befitting of her position, Carlson and her comrades ultimately took home the first district loss for the varsity girls’ volleyball team since 2021, Despite the defeat, she is confident that with better coordination, future success is all but assured. 

“I think we’re fully capable of beating Ann Richards,” Carlson said. “I think that Friday was just an off night for everybody.”

Caption by Noah Braun. Photo by Francie Wilhelm.