After the girls varsity volleyball team prepared all week, they took on conference rival Joliet West on Sept. 29.  The girls were coming off a big win against Joliet Central and were trying to keep up their positivity as they prepare for action. 

“Knowing it’s a big game against a big team we practiced all week until we found something that clicked. Everyone on and off the court knew their role,” senior Audrey Gil said.

In the first set, the girls were off to a hot start but quickly got shut down as Joliet West heated up. West took a demanding lead and shut Minooka down in set one, winning 25-16.

“I believe keeping a positive attitude with the entire team and expressing the positives of the lost set is key,” head coach Carrie Prosek said.

Set two began, and Minooka was all dominance. A few kills gave Minooka a quick lead but they didn’t stop there. As Joliet West made a few mistakes, Minooka kept up the momentum and was in control. With the crowd loud and the bench pumped, Minooka scored the final points of set two winning 25-14.

“I feel a lot of the team does play off of the crowd and its energy. We play better because when the crowd is hype we are hype,” senior Ella Manning said.

The crowd wasn’t the only factor bringing Minooka energy. 

“After winning a big set like that we come together as a team and remind ourselves what we have to do in order to come out on top. We have to carry our momentum over to the next set,” senior Lily King said.

Set three begins and the crowd is erupting. West took a strong lead, but Minooka was determined to keep trying. Minooka struck back and gained a few more points but that was not enough. West took the third set, 25-13.

“I feel a loss like that motivates me and the team a lot more, making us want to do better overall in the next game. Remembering to practice hard and staying determined is key,” senior Kara Schaack said.