All summer long, the players of the Lakewood High School volleyball team have been hard at work preparing for the season. Beginning this 2021 season, new coach Terry Spilker had a strong mindset to help the Lady Rangers reach their full potential.
COVID- 19 affected the Rangers a lot last season, from washing the balls in between every play to being spaced out on the bench. This season is the Ranger’s first shot back at normalcy. These student-athletes are so dedicated to having a successful season that they practice three days a week and have games three days a week. That means that six days a week, these athletes are in the gym working at their craft to try and achieve wins throughout the year.
On Tuesday, August 31, the Lakewood Rangers faced Elyria Catholic Panthers. Throughout the game, the Varsity team put up a strong fight. Unfortunately, the Rangers lost in three but every match was a nail-biter. The first match ended with a score of 26-24, the second match with a score of 25-20, and then the last match finished with 25-19.
Junior Elliott Snyder led the team with seven kills against Elyria Catholic. Senior Captain Amy Pilgrim led the team with three big blocks to stop the Panthers from scoring. Junior Helen Hylton was the star of the back row. Helen was able to receive 30 of the other teams’ serves while only making two mistakes. All of these individual elements put together allowed the Rangers to fight back against the Panthers! Be sure to come and support the Rangers. They have games every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday!
