BY CAMILLE JOHNSON with EMMA HEAGEN and LISA TOOLEY
On November 12, the girls volleyball team defeated Williamstown to win their third State Sectional title. The Knights claimed victory after four intense sets, with a final score of 3-1.
After a 3-0 win against Williamstown earlier in the season, and in the state semifinals last season, the Knights entered the game with high expectations. “I think it just gave us a general idea of what they played like,” said senior Maya Lupinski, who contributed 40 assists and 4 aces to the match. “Last year’s win against them fueled me most. I just wanted to repeat that feeling.”
The team won the first set 25-19, setting the tone early on. “At first it was very overwhelming knowing that everybody is here watching you make so many mistakes, but after you hear everybody being so supportive, it really helps bring the team’s energy up,” said senior Olivia Grubb.
The Knights faced a challenging second set, falling to Williamstown 25-19. “Them winning the second set showed us that we needed to come back ten times harder, and that if we wanted to beat them, they would not go quietly,” said junior Tatum Jones. “We knew that we all had to step up our game, and if we did, we would beat them.”
The girls quickly bounced back in the third set, winning 25-22. “It showed us we can’t get complacent, and we need to fight to the end,” said Lupinski.
The energy in the gym remained electric throughout the match, with enthusiastic support from both student sections. “At first, I was so stressed. I was like there is so many people in this gym and Williamstown, they brought a fan bus,” said junior libero Jannah Khalil. “We didn’t get out-fanned; our student section was amazing. That also helped me, but seeing everything being set up with all the chairs and dividers, that made me realize how deep this is.”
After a tightly contested fourth set, the team emerged victorious with a 27-25 final score. “It was so great, just relief because Williamstown is such an amazing team, and their coaches are really amazing,” said senior Ashley Markle, who had 23 kills and one ace.
The girls credit their teamwork and practice as the driving forces leading to their consistent postseason success. “We have so much mental toughness, and coach Hopman teaches it really well. We have so much trust with each other, so we knew we were going to come back,” said Markle. “It took a lot of time, but we got it, and I knew we would.”
The team plays Westfield on November 15 with hopes of winning the Group IV State Championship for the second year in a row.
Posted at 10:20pm on November 12, 2026
Photos and videos by Emma Heagen and Lisa Tooley
