by Haley Denhartog, junior

The HHS volleyball team started out with five consecutive wins to open their season. Undefeated and ranked number one in the conference, the young team is on their way to reaching their goals of making it all the way to the state tournament.

“We really want to get to state this year. None of our team has been, and that motivates us,” said Ingrid Werner, captain, junior.

Although the team’s standings couldn’t look better, making it to state requires playing other closely-matched teams.

“Most of the conference games could go either way,” said Audrey Erickson, junior, “but we try to stay confident without slowing down, even after a big win.”

With that in mind, the team talks about strategy before playing other high-ranked teams from the conference. They discuss how to defend individual opposing players, but also trust that what they have built as a team extends further than the court.

“We have been successful because the team is really coming together outside of volleyball,” said Erickson. Her teammates agree.

Jasmyn Martin, freshman, is also on the starting lineup this year.

”Working together and having fun with what we do helps us play to our full potential,” said Martin.

The girls agreed that they hope to keep improving and continue their success into next year, where everyone except three seniors will return.