The girls’ volleyball team opened their season with a powerful 6-3 start as they look to keep their momentum going for the rest of the season.

The Cats’ first victory came against the Poolesville Falcons on Sept. 8, winning 3-1 in a thrilling, high-intensity match. The team debuted new offensive strategies this season, which proved to have so far paid off in their favor.

“We experimented with different ways of scoring like hitting two, tipping and setter dumping. Each point was also followed by loud cheering from the bench and crowd,” junior setter Nicole Chang said.

Not only did the offense keep WJ in the game, but their defense had the Falcons locked down on the court.

“Our defense was really solid, especially in serve receive,” Chang said. “They held their ground passing straight to the setter.”

The team then took on the Einstein Titans, dominating them in a 3-0 sweep.

“Both wins were really exciting and the best way to start out the season,” junior captain Misha Anderson said. “They were super high-energy and the whole team was fully focused up.”

In both matchups, the Cats pounced onto their opponents, shutting them down from the first to  last whistles.

“We got ahead of both games faster than the other team and they couldn’t figure out a way to come back,” Anderson said.

After early wins, the team began facing some harsher competition, which resulted in three straight losses to Quince Orchard, Whitman and Wootton. These games began stretching the team thin, while also highlighting room for improvement.

Players like Chang found that there needed to be changes made in the team’s serving and middle attacks, with Anderson echoing a similar message, hoping that the team’s defense could improve in fighting off powerful hitters.

After tweaking their game plan the Cats have since bounced back, sweeping B-CC, Blake and Magruder while winning 3-2 in a hard-fought battle against Churchill, the same team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year.

Looking towards the rest of the season, the team is focused on their culture and chemistry, hoping to build stronger ties with one another on and off the court.

“We do a lot of team bonding and specialized drills to strengthen our weaknesses,” Chang said. “We push each other really hard during practice, and I know that it will show on the court.”

The Cats will continue to channel their spirit and camaraderie into another win on Thursday against Richard Montgomery.