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Lillian Figueroa

Aubrey Bales '24 jumps to hit the ball as teammates support.

The crowd buzzed and players emanated joy at Carrollton’s varsity volleyball season opener on August 24. Fans began a friendly cheering competition that energized everyone. And this energy continued as the team pulled off a victory over Immaculate La Salle High School–a better beginning than last year.

“We have improved, since this time we won the first game of the season and last time we lost. I’m happy we won,” said Priscilla Fernandez ‘25, outside hitter.

But the victory wasn’t easy. The Cyclones played their hearts out on the court, eventually pulling off a win, 3 sets to 2. With an out-of-bounds save in the first set and continuous displays of skill and dedication, the Cyclones kept fans on the edge of their seats.

After the game, Fernandez ‘25 was already looking to the future and how to improve. Maintaining energy and crowd support will be key.

“I think we could focus more on consistency. Energy had to stay high. We had periods of low energy where we would lose, and times with high energy where we would win. The crowd really helped us keep the energy up when their energy was up,” Fernandez said.

Despite room for improvement, the Cyclones came away with a positive feeling overall. Part of this positivity comes from the leadership of experienced players.

“This year they are closing the cycle. The team now has seven seniors, an era of maturity,” Head Coach, Marco Paglialunga said.

And in this era, the future certainly looks bright.