Oxford Academy started off with the ball, unfortunately serving it right into the net, putting Crean Lutheran up one point. In the next few hits, Crean extended their lead to 3 points. The Patriots, however, made a quick recovery and tied the score 4-4, setting up a solid foundation for the rest of the first game. One of the Patriots increased the score by 2 points with strong successive serves, but Oxford gave up a point by accidentally hitting it out, eventually putting the score at 9-6. Crean earned Oxford a point with a dead ball and another brilliant serve from the Patriots boosted Oxford to a 5 point lead at 11-6. With two more serves, Oxford was leading 13-6 until they gave up a point with a ball into the net. The team was doing well at this point, maintaining their lead with great communication among all players. A strong serve by one of Oxford’s own went out of bounds and Crean earned another point, 13-8. Crean, however, gave back the Patriot lead with a bad serve, 15-8, and the score was 16-8 when the first timeout was called. Oxford made no substitutions and the game resumed, with the Patriots giving up a quick point to place the score at 16-9. When Oxford hit the ball into the net, Crean picked up the slack with another point, now only 6 points behind. Oxford, however, maintained the lead, 17-10. Crean made another vital mistake by calling a ball out, which was actually in, and Oxford earned yet another point. With the score at 19-11 off another fantastic serve by the Patriots, things were definitely looking up. Unfortunately, Oxford let the ball out giving Crean a much needed point, but immediately gained it back off a serve. Serves proved to be an important point source for the team throughout the first game. Oxford gave up another point when the ball did not go over the net and ironically received their own point when Crean failed to hoist the ball over the net. The score reached 23-12 when Crean’s Libero missed the ball, followed by a timeout. Oxford hit the ball into the net, giving Crean a point, but maintained the lead when Crean missed the ball, ending the game, 25-14.

The second game started off with Oxford again trailing behind. This time, the game was more intense as both teams were now warmed up and giving it their all. It was also a lot closer in terms of scoring than the first game had been. When Oxford hit the ball away from the net, they put Crean at a lead of 1-0. After a few more hits, the score was 1-3 with Crean in the lead after a ball went out on the Oxford side. When their serve went out and Crean was up 3 points, the game got a bit more intense. Crean, however, gave Oxford a point when they hit the ball out, following up with a serve out of the court and putting the score at 3-5. Oxford quickly gained back the two lost points, tying the game 5-5 when their serve was missed by Crean Lutheran. Then the Patriots took the lead with a strong serve, 6-5. After a small mistake, the score was tied again. Crean came out with a lead when Oxford also made a mistake with the ball, but another dropped ball resulted in a 7-7 tie. With the second game closer than ever, Oxford stepped up their game, setting the score at 8-7 with a ball off a Crean player, and following up 9-7 when Crean touched the net. Oxford lost the ball and gave the opposing team a point, and brought back a 9-9 tie by missing the ball again. A quick substitution was made and right before another timeout, the score was 10-9 with Oxford in the lead once again. Unfortunately, they hit it into the net, tying the score 10-10 and giving Crean the lead at 10-11 with another ball in the net. They quickly tied the score, 11-11, and when Crean let the ball out, bumped up one point, 12-11. From then on, Oxford held on to the lead. Crean hit the ball into the net, giving Oxford a 2 point lead, 13-11, and another ball into the net put the score at 14-11. Another ball out resulted in a 15-11 score and with a great save made by the Patriots, following several exciting volleys, the score ended at 15-12 with a dead ball on Oxford’s side of the court. More great volleys ensued, but the score was set at 15-13 even after Sophomore Phoebe Kim made a beautiful dive for the ball in an effort to save it from going out. After a brief timeout, Oxford unfortunately gave up another point, 15-14, but picked up momentum and scored 16-14 when Crean hit the ball out. They continued the point scoring when the ball was fumbled off a Crean player and out of the court, 17-14. Another ball out led to an 18-14 score and with another great serve, Oxford maintained the lead when Crean mistakenly called the ball out, 19-14. When Oxford missed the ball two times in a row, the score settled at 19-16. Oxford again hit the ball out, giving Crean another point, 19-17; they immediately took it back though, when Crean made a bad serve, 20-17.Now that Oxford was only 5 points away from victory, the game picked up even more, and Crean missed the ball, leaving the score at 21-17 before Crean made their third substitution in a row. Oxford unfortunately hit the ball out and gave Crean a false self esteem booster, with a score of 21-18. At this point, however, Oxford was not about to give up any more points, and only increased their score in the last few minutes of the game. Crean hit the ball out after Oxford made a quick substitution, 22-18, and again the ball left the Crean side of the court and put the score at 23-18. After a brief timeout, Crean served the ball out, 24-18, and the game ended on a high note when Crean hit the ball out, 25-18.

With this win, Oxford’s JV Girls volleyball team demonstrated their integrity and ability to fight to the finish. Although both games got off to shaky starts, they came back in the end to win over the opposing team with strong leads.