The Lincoln East volleyball team defeated the Gators at Lincoln Northstar High School on September 6th, 2022. The Spartans are still on a winning streak after they took the title at the Bellevue West Invitational for the first time since 1994. East played lights out defense to allow them to take the victory over Northstar, and their efforts are not going unnoticed.

East was dominant in the first set, starting off 4-0 against the Gators. Their impressive serve receive passing assisted them in their ability to run the middles and give seniors, Sophia Weed and Brooklyn Fuchs, a chance to show off.The Spartans took set one 25-17.

Weed capitalized off of what was working, quick sets from behind. “One of my strengths in this game was definitely my slides around the setter,” Weed said. “We got them [Northstar] out of system a lot.”

The two teams were trading side outs in the second set, as East got caught behind early and had to battle back. Shandy Faalii represented some strong middle back defense that dug them out of the hole. A four point serving run from the Spartans forced a timeout at 12-10. Scrappy play and overall momentum on East’s side brought about the next win. Brynne Topolski finished set two with a kill, bringing the score to 25-21.

Although they hadn’t taken a set yet, Northstar came out ready to fight in the third. East on the other hand, had several service errors and was slower to come together. The team was still trailing at 11-12 until Topolski switched the energy with a kill down the line to tie it. A serving run by Zoe Rademacher sealed the deal, and the Spartans finished off the gators with back-to-back aces by Shandy Faalii. The final score of set three was 25-18.

East had done their research for this game by watching film, and visualizing their overall goals. This year’s theme for the volleyball program was “Build More Together” and it’s easy to see how that is incorporated. The energy on the court is very distinct.

“When we get down, or when there’s tough times, we just have to remember to stay together,” Topolski, a junior right side hitter, said. “We basically just work as a team to try and build [each other] back up.”

The Spartans often have multiple games a week, so their practice time is limited. They will have to continue on with their preparation strategies and work hard to prove themselves in their upcoming games.