Girls’ volleyball has had an incredible preseason these past few weeks, and they are hoping to place high in state this year.
After an agonizing 0 – 3 loss to Mountain Ridge in last year’s preseason, the girls came back this year to sweep them 3 – 0 on Aug. 29. Overall, their preseason has been exceptional compared to past years, with a record of 10-2 and several difficult teams under their belt. Some of these tougher games included tenth ranked Copper Hills, previously mentioned seventh ranked Mountain Ridge, and ninth ranked American Fork. Two out of three of these games were won in three sets, showing that massive progress the Warriors have had in relation to last year.
In terms of strategy and focus going into region 1 head coach Renae Davis said, “I think just continue winning and getting better, obviously we want to go win region.” More specifically, she said, “I think just get better at practice every day, focus on serve, serve, receive and then work on offense.” Looking long term, she adds, “We want to make sure we take care of game by game instead of just focusing on the end goal.”
![](https://weberwarriornews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/passing-1200x803.jpg)
Weber volleyball has started the regular season with three wins and no losses, they are the only team in the region to not lose a game so far, currently first in 6A Region 1. The Warriors began their season with their senior night game against the Davis Darts, a highly anticipated matchup due to the many close games between the two in the previous season, culminating in a sweep during State for the Warriors. However, the Warriors came out with no intention of giving Davis any ground and took down the Darts in three sets with scores 25-19, 25-22, 25-15.
Following this game, the Warriors traveled away to Farmington, where they battled with the Phoenixes. After a rough start in the first set, they proceeded to take it in four.
They finished off the week off with Fremont, the rivalry game that has ended in favor of Fremont almost every time. Patrick Car from the Standard Examiner wrote in one of the several articles written about the Warriors, “It’s the first time in at least 17 years that Weber has posted three straight wins over Fremont, as a team the Warriors have gone 7-25 against since 2007.” While the game started out slow, the two went neck and neck due to repeated serving errors. Finally, the Warriors managed to pull away at the end of the first two sets. The third set left no doubt as to which team wanted the victory more. With the Warriors coming out as strong as seen so far, they took the set 25-8.
“The biggest challenge going into the season is going to be staying consistent no matter who we play, whether it’s a really good team or maybe not as good.”
Senior, Josie Rich, is the setter of the varsity team and leads Region 1 in service aces and has had over 200 assists this year. When asked about potential challenges as the season continues, Rich said, “The biggest challenge going into the season is going to be staying consistent no matter who we play, whether it’s a really good team or maybe not as good.” Overall, the Warriors have been successful at staying consistent, which can be attributed to how long the team has been together. The Warriors are the only undefeated team in region 1 with a record of 4-0, and they hope to remain so as they finish the first round of region play.
One of the influential players on the volleyball team is Senior Jackie Craven. Craven has had an incredible season with the highest hitting percentage on the team, ranking 3rd in region 1 and 5th in the 6A Division. She has a hitting percentage of 0.333. Craven commented, “I feel like I’ve definitely improved this season stats-wise compared to last year and I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish after the work I’ve put in.” She also added, “I’m so grateful for my teammates here who I have been able to play with for 6 plus years, for pushing, supporting and helping me grow. I’m excited to continue this season and for the opportunity to continue playing volleyball at the highest level.” Craven has recently committed to USU Eastern, where she is excited to continue her volleyball career while pursuing a degree in criminal justice. Craven’s ability to perform during games has helped lead the Warriors through their incredible preseason.
Weber volleyball continues to keep their undefeated status and is determined to win the region this year. Best of luck to a well deserving team.