After competing against other schools from around the area, the Atlantic Trojans volleyball team finally squared up against a conference competitor on Thursday in Glenwood. As Glenwood is considered as one of the most solid teams in the conference, the girls knew the battle that lied ahead of them on Thursday night would be a tough one.

The JV squad took the court first for their opening match of the season. The group lost in straight sets–25-13, 25-14. This year’s team is compiled of five freshmen: Reagan Leonard, Jeanna Kramer, Aspen Niklasen, Malena Woodward, and Lexie Trotter. Sophomore Mia Trotter and junior Emma Templeton return to the lineup for the JV team. Outside hitter Maycie Waters rounds out the JV company, while also playing part-time on the varsity team.

Following the results of the JV match, it was time for the two varsity squads to compete. Coming into the meet, Glenwood was 6-3, while Atlantic was 3-5. For the first set, the Trojans were subject to Glenwood’s solid spikes and lost the set 25-12.

Another tough set followed, with the Trojans earning only eight points in the second set loss. However, the team rallied together and played hard in hopes of pushing the match to a fourth set. The girls competed with Glenwood all throughout the third set but came up short. The final score of the third and final set was 25-21.

Throughout the match, the Trojan’s serving game was extremely consistent, with four team members not missing a serve the entire match. This helped the team have a high serve efficiency of 0.919. Sophomore Haley Rasmussen brought home the lone ace.

Currently, Glenwood is ranked 2nd in the conference, behind only an undefeated Kuemper team. The positive signs the Trojans have shown in this matchup and others hint at success that could be had later in the season against other teams in the conference. The girls hope to take home at least two conference wins this season, and the hard work and results they are seeing prove their goals could be attained.