The Pre-Volleybowl is always an exciting event. Especially with the star talent on the Trojans side. The Lady Trojans entered Thursday nights game looking to bounce back after an early disappointing loss to the Thunder Basin Bolts. Being back to back state champs and having a target on their backs, they knew they’d have to play their best.

After the commencement of the National Anthem, the game was on and for the first time in awhile the Mustangs started off ahead. Down 8-2 in the first set, head coach Jeff Barkell decided to call a time out. Which set a spark in the Lady Trojans.

Making a comeback to tie the set at 25, the Lady Trojans had momentum and never looked back. The Lady Trojans won the set 29-27.

“It was a really close first set, which we weren’t really expecting. But they came out ready to fight and punched us in the mouth. We just had to adjust and play our game.” said Danilynn Schell 3x All-Stater and 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year.

The second set wasn’t as close. The Trojans got out to a 10-2 lead and never let up. They won the second set 25-12.

When asked about how the team approached the second set, 4A Player of the Year Corin Carruth said, “We had a rough start in that first set, and we knew they were gonna fight until the end. But we knew that if we just played our game that we would be okay.”

The third set was more of the same, with the Lady Trojans bouncing out to an early lead and holding for the rest of the game. They won the third and final set, 25-18.

“It’s always a fun game, not as exciting as the actual Volleybowl but always fun to play them. Especially because I grew up playing with those girls and now I get to play against them in one of the biggest games of the year,” said Schell about the importance of the cross-town rivalry games.

“It’s a super fun environment for both teams, and in the end, it’s just cool to see a whole town come together to support the schools,” said Carruth.

Every year, the Lady Trojan volleyball team is always fun to watch. Especially now with two D1 recruits and a team full of talented seniors. They look to continue their dominance during their conference part of their season.