The Walpole Rebels Volleyball team beat the Norwood Mustangs and the Needham Rockets, continuing their winning streak of four games. The score against Norwood, on September 27, was 3-0 and the score against Needham, on October 2, was 3-1.
The Rebels played a strong game against the Mustangs, beating them by a minimum of nine points in every game. Walpole took the lead early in all three games, but they still fought for a bigger point difference in every game they played. They minimized the amount of unforced errors they made and increased their earned points. Defense was a strength in the games, an improvement from previous games earlier in the season. Senior setter, Captain Steph Barmakian, worked hard in running the offense, leading to 16 assists. This resulted in a 3-0 win for the Rebels against Norwood.
In the beginning of their first game against Needham, the Rebels were down by a lot and when they finally got into their groove, it was too late in the game. Walpole’s serving was not at the standard which it is usually at, which contributed greatly to the loss. After coming back, the first match ended with a score of 25-23 and a loss for Walpole.
Walpole’s comeback late in the first match reassured them that they could beat Needham and they had the skill to, and they kept this in mind entering the second match. They improved in serves from the first game, but they still were not at the Rebel’s high standard. The score was close throughout the whole game and both teams battled for every point. The Rebels made sure to shake it off when anyone on the team made a mistake and focus on getting the point the next time. The Rebels eventually took a small lead in the end to win the second match 25-20.
The Rebels were losing their third match in the beginning, just like the first one, but this time they fought back with enough time left to win the game. The serving in this game finally did reach Walpole’s standard, giving the team their usual confidence back. Once the serving came back, everything started to work the way it has been in their past three games, which all ended in wins. The Needham Rockets were running out of plays unseen by the Rebels by this point as Walpole was shutting them down with everything they tried, ending the third match with a Walpole win of 25-21.
The last match was Walpole’s best game, with every player putting in all of their effort so they did not have to go into a fifth game. There was not one player wh0 did not contribute to their win in this game. Senior Emily Rothenberg put her all into the game in every spot she was in whether it was on offense or defense. Since the Rebels had all of the skills they needed in the last game, it was no surprise when they won 25-19.
Walpole may have started out rocky, but after these recent games they have proven that the Rebels have come to play and win. The Needham game ended 3-1, making Walpole’s record 5-3. They hope to keep their winning run going as they head into their game against Natick, who they beat earlier in the season, on October 4.
