School Spirit Soars: Grace’s Homecoming Volleyball Game
With the crowd going wild at the opening serve, the Grace community came together waving pom poms and wearing face paint to cheer on the Griffins at last month’s Varsity Volleyball homecoming match.
The volleyball team put a rocky preseason behind them, and won their first game of the season at the Trevor Day School tournament, during the first weekend school started. The energy was up throughout the entire game. Their first win against Trevor Day motivated the volleyball team to start the season with new energy and passion.
“We have a super strong team dynamic and all have such strong skills,” said Izzy A. ‘27, a second year libero/outside hitter. She voiced her love for the sport of volleyball while praising her teammates for their strong skill sets and ambition.
For the homecoming game, the Grace Varsity Volleyball team played their rivals, Lycée Français. The tension was high but school pride was higher. While the players began to warm up, the student section began to fill up the stands; the bleachers were filled with parents, siblings, students, and teachers.
Lycée secured the first five points of the first set, but the Griffins quickly gained points back with amazing over-the-net blocks and serves. Outside of the gym, volunteers served delicious chocolate chip cookies and fried chicken from Wegmans. As more people rolled in the chants became louder, and Grace gained a five-point lead. Eventually, Lycée won this tough first set.
During breaks, the cheer team performed theatrics such as cartwheels and flips to get the crowd excited. Grace brought the excitement levels up by scoring points and making tough saves. With a powerful hit by Ava L. ‘26, Grace won the second set, 25-20. The student section erupted in cheers as the final point was won.
As loud cheers were chanted for Grace, such as “side out! Grace! Side out right now!” Lycée eventually won the first point. The game continued as an even rally, as both teams kept consistent points and outstanding competition. More and more onlookers supported the team and some of them had to sit on the sidelines, or even stand outside, because of the large crowd. The set continued as a close game, but Lycée eventually pulled a win out, which heavily dampened the energy in the stands.
Media provided by India Bischof ‘27
After a tough loss in the third set, Grace stepped onto the court with strong determination. There were many digs, blocks, and serves that kept the game going. Both teams were eagerly fighting for the next point. The energy was higher than ever when Sophia D. ‘27 threw up an amazing block. Both teams were playing a whole new level of volleyball that Grace hadn’t seen before. As the set ended, Grace walked away with a 25-19 set victory! Emotions were higher than ever for both teams leading into the fifth set.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats as the whistle blew for the final set. Lycée started strong with a four-point lead. Both teams were fighting but the energy started to decrease, on and off the court. Grace slowly began to fall behind and unfortunately, Lycée took the win.
Media provided by India Bischof ’27
Even though the game didn’t end with a Grace victory, the energy from the student section and the determination from the volleyball team were unmatched throughout the game. The Grace community came together for this momentous game. Even though the result wasn’t a win, everyone had a great time and showed their best school spirit.
India Bischof ‘27 and Siena Green ‘27, the authors, are staff writers for The Grace Gazette.