After coming off a successful season last year, the girls volleyball team had no intention of stopping. The first step in starting a successful season was achieving the first win.

On Sept. 9, Notre Dame high school in Lawrence traveled to Hillsborough for a match. The Raiders lost the previous two meetings between the two schools, so the Raiders knew they needed this win. Hillsborough took the first set with ease, winning 25-10. Then, winning the next set 25-20 which sealed the victory for the Raiders.

With eight seniors graduated from last season’s squad, the new upcoming seniors are expected to step up and they did not disappoint. Senior Jillian Boose had a game high seven kills, and was assisted by sophomore setter Morgan Krempasky who had 16 in total.

Overall, Boose was excited and relieved after getting the first win.

“It’s always tough having the stress of getting your first win, and it took a lot of pressure off us once we accomplished that goal,” Boose said. “I was really excited for the team and it felt nice knowing that everyone contributed to getting our first win.”

With a lot of young talent on the team, it was the first time many players on the team experienced varsity competition. Although there were many positives coming out of the game, everyone knew there was much room for improvement.

“I think that as a team we do very well receiving the other team’s hits and serves,” Boose said. “In a game like volleyball, communication is key, and I always hear our defense talking to each other. However, it seems like each person on our team gets down on themselves when they make a mistake. It’s better for the team if we all learn from our mistakes, but put them behind us fairly quickly.

The Raiders have a current record of 1-4, and will play Princeton in their next contest on Sept. 20.