We were spoiled last year: with the number one hitter in the state on our team (number 11 in the nation, as memory serves) and another hitter who was a powerhouse coupled with a libero who made the kind of diving saves that make highlight reels, we went into most games expecting our girls to win. And win they did, all the way to the state finals.

This year, we thought it would be a tough year with some major losses, and we have seen our girls humbled a few times. But they’ve held their own, winning against teams who’d beaten them earlier in the year, winning games that began with a lost first set, and generally showing grit.

Tonight, they played JL Mann, who’d beaten them earlier this year. We beat them in straight sets both times we met last year, but as I said, that was last year, this is this year.

We lost the first set 17-25, and we were playing so clumsily that I was worried we would lose the game in straight sets. But if there’s anything I’ve learned in watching girls’ volleyball, it’s this: things can turn around instantly. Our girls pulled themselves together and JL Mann partially fell apart, and we took the second set 25-13.

The third set would be decisive, I thought. I guess I’m just a pessimist: perhaps they could have lost the third set and still won the match, but I don’t know. They haven’t won a lot of five-set matches. As it turned out, they won the third set 25-21, which seemed about right considering they’d both pummeled the other team completely once: it suggested they were fairly evenly matched.

Then we had the fourth set, and before we knew it, our girls were up 17-11. But if I’ve learned anything watching girls’ volleyball, it’s this: things can turn around instantly. Suddenly, it was 17-15, and JL Mann looked like they had all the momentum. But if there’s anything I’ve learned watching girls’ volleyball, it’s this: things can turn back around instantly, and within moments, our girls were up 20-16. They managed to maintain that lead and add one more to it, winning the decisive fourth set 25-20.