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By Brooke Bastedo and Elizabeth Landen
The Gainesville Hurricanes volleyball team suffered a loss Thursday night at its away game against The Rock Lions, bringing its record to 5-5.
The Lions (4-1) won the first set 25-14 and the ‘Canes struggled to recover, losing the next two sets 25-18, 25-17.
Gainesville Hurricanes tie it up with The Rock halfway into the last set 🏐🏃♀️ pic.twitter.com/qoajdbY5sr
— Elizabeth Landen (@elanden15) September 6, 2024
UF Assist
Despite the loss, the girls showed strong communication skills and consistent support for one another throughout the match.
GHS coach Jerica Carter-Mitchell noted that this was one of the goals that her team set early on in the season. She said the girls wanted to become a unit and to cheer for each other no matter the score.
This was evident in the third set when senior Nicole Ellis scored two consecutive points with her block. After each of these points, the entire team erupted in cheers for Ellis. Rowan Kage, a junior, was among the most excited for her middle attacker after the pair had worked together throughout the game to close the gap.
Carter-Mitchell said the team’s drive to be this new unit came from its trip to a UF volleyball camp, where they were led by Gators sophomore Kennedy Martin.
“The biggest takeaway is that the girls still have a lot of growth to do this season,” Carter-Mitchell said when asked about the impact the match had on her vision for the season. The team will continue to make improvements as it reflects on the outcome of the match and develop throughout the season.
The improvements began with Carter-Mitchell instructing the players to run up and down their side of the court in between sets. This came after their second-straight set loss.
Gainesville High will play the Williston Red Devils at home Monday at 7 p.m. This will be the ‘Canes only scheduled regular-season match against the Red Devils.
