Dashing across the gym in long-sleeved red shirts and dark blue shorts, Jefferson’s freshmen volleyball team players invested the last minutes before the game polishing their skills. As the buzzer signaled the beginning of the game, the team gathered in a circle and shouted a cheer for its success.

On Sept. 23, Jefferson’s freshmen, junior varsity (JV) and varsity volleyball teams played against Fairfax High School. The game began positively with the victory of the freshmen team, defeating Fairfax by 2-1. The team, which started its season with a loss against Stone Bridge High School on Sept. 2, showed great successes in the remainder of the early season, maintaining a 3-1 season record.

Continuing the trend, the JV volleyball team won its game with the score of 2-1. The team has been experiencing inconsistencies in their game results, with the current season record being 2-3. The team’s only victory besides Fairfax was West Potomac High School, and junior Katie Pruitt, the JV captain, hopes to improve on the team’s performance by addressing the problems that need to be solved.

“Our spirit was great,” Pruitt said. “We were pumped up after the amazing freshmen comeback, and everyone was very positive. However, our communication was lacking.”

Concluding the game, the varsity team competed against Fairfax and was defeated by 0-3. The team participated so far in 11 games, including the Northern Virginia Volleyball Association (NVAA) Invitational from Aug. 29-30 that ended with the record of 2-3. With the current season record of 3-8, the team will be competing against Wakefield High School on Sept. 30.

As the fall season reaches its midpoint, Jefferson’s volleyball team will be training rigorously to compete successfully in the remaining games of the season, with the varsity team participating in the Capitol Conference tournaments beginning Nov. 3.

“We had inconsistencies with covering the block and reading the hitter’s shoulder when they went up to hit,” senior Amanda Nguyen, a member of the varsity Volleyball team, said. “We hope to improve on our defense by engaging in more game-like drills in order to prepare for the out-of-system plays.”