Indians Victorious in Cougar Territory
Deven Stokes hustles to get the ball in the air. She had a total of 21 digs in the match.
When it comes to sports, Escalon has always been a huge rival of Ripon High. On September 17, there was an away volleyball game at Escalon, which was a huge excitement to all, and the game was even more exciting when the varsity team took a huge win over the cougars.
Sydney Thomason is a sophomore at Ripon High, and this year she made the varsity team, which was a big deal to her. When it came to Escalon, she was really excited to play them because she got to experience the energy on the court at a younger age.
“For the team, the game was very intense,” Thomason stated, “They are our rivals and we will do anything it takes to beat them. Losing is not an option.” — Sydney Thomason
Along with the players, there is also an enormous amount of energy in the crowds. Everyone likes to come so they can cheer along their team and have cheer battles with the opposing student section.
“Being in the student section is a lot of fun because you all share the excitement together and everyone has a lot of energy,” sophomore Abby Rangel said, “I think it’s more fun with Escalon games because more people are encouraged to go than to other games.”
Ripon won in four sets, and they were victorious in three of those sets. The first game had a score of 25-18, the third with a score of 25-20, and they won the fourth one with a final of 25-21. They lost the second set with a score of 18-25, but in the end, the team came back to take the victory.
Ripon High senior Mia Van Lewen played an outstanding game with a total of 17 kills and 20 digs.
“I feel like our team plays better because there’s a rivalry and a lot more intensity when we play Escalon,” Van Lewen stated. “Playing them motivates me to do my best.”
