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Carolina Ochoa Lozano

Team work makes the dream work. MSD women's JV volleyball players celebrate after earning a point.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School women’s varsity volleyball season was full of positive and negative experiences. Unfortunately, finishing with a 7-8 record wasn’t what the team hoped for.

The Lady Eagles had a strong showing at home games, finishing the season with a 5-3 record. However, the team struggled in away games, finishing with a 0-4 record.

MSD’s season opener on Aug. 31 was a rough one as they lost 3-0 to Cooper City High School, resulting in their first loss of the season. The game was not not close in the first two sets, but the Lady Eagles fought hard in the third set, ultimately coming close in a 25-22 loss.

On Sep. 13, MSD had an away game against Pines Charter High School. The Lady Eagles had a slow start, losing the first two sets of the match, but winning the third set 25-21. Ultimately, they lost the game 3-1 and resumed their season 0-2.

Sept. 14 marked MSD’s first win of the season at home against Coral Springs High School. In a dominant 3-0 win, MSD only allowed 40 combined points and continued the season with a 1-2 record.

The varsity volleyball team added to their winning streak on Sep. 20 in a 3-0 win against Hollywood Hills High School. The game was close in the first set, but the Lady Eagles had a commanding lead in the second and third set. Their largest win was in the second set, at 25-10, increasing their record to 2-2.

In a home game on Sept. 21 against Boca Raton High School, the Eagles ended up losing 1-2, winning in the second set 25-16, but coming close in the first and third set.

In a tough divisional away matchup against Coral Glades High School on Sept. 22, the team had to play well to stay in the game. Despite keeping the game close by losing a maximum of 3 points in each set, they ended up losing 3-0. This game brought the Lady Eagles’ record to 2-4.

The volleyball team added to their losing streak against Western High School on Sept. 27. MSD lost 3-0 against the competitive Western team who was 5-2 prior to their match, consequently dropping their record to 2-5.

On Sept. 28, the team had an upset win over Ft. Lauderdale High School, who finished the season 14-5. MSD got off to a slow start in the first set, losing 19-25, but got it together and won the next three sets relatively easily, bringing their record to 3-5.

A home game against division rival Deerfield Beach High School ended on a good note, as they won 1-0, changing their record to 4-5.

Unfortunately, MSD lost to Spanish River High School on Oct. 5 in a 3-0 defeat. The Eagles were not close in the first two sets of the game, losing 14-25 and 15-25. In the third set, Spanish River subsided, allowing MSD to remain close. The Lady Eagles won by 4 points, ultimately guaranteeing their sixth loss of the season.

MSD’s home matchup on Oct. 6 against Monarch was a thriller as they won the first two sets of the game. The first set was won by 6 points and the second by 3 points. Their competitor, Monarch High School, shifted into the next gear after falling 2-0. Monarch won the next two sets to tie the game and send it into overtime. Nonetheless, MSD lost in the deciding set, sending their record to 4-7.

On Oct. 11, MSD had an away game against South Plantation High School who finished the regular season with a 20-2 record. MSD lost the game 3-0, but kept the game relatively close for most of its entirety. Their biggest deficit came after the initial set, as they lost by 11 points in the second set and by 2 points in the third set.

Although the varsity volleyball team did not finish with a great record, they were eligible to compete in the district championship. On Oct. 20, the team competed for a chance at the top spot in the division. They won 3-0 against Deerfield 3-0 and moved onto the next round.

On the same day, MSD played against Coral Glades High School, a team they lost to earlier in the season. They won 3-1, dominating in all but one set. In a huge upset against Glades, MSD moved on to face West Boca High School.

In their final game, in which MSD lost their last chance to claim the title of division champions, the Lady Eagles lost 3-0 against West Boca. As a result, MSD could no longer move on to compete for the state championship.

MSD’s season had its ups and downs, ending with an overall 6-9 record. However, they fought hard in every set, giving it their all. MSD made it all the way to the division championship level. Although they fell short, they raised expectations for next year’s season.