Gallery • 4 Photos

Hazel Waltenbaugh

Johnna Melk-Johnson returns to ball to the Redhawks during the Dig Pink game Oct. 6.

On Oct. 6, varsity volleyball took on the Minnehaha Academy Redhawks, a cross-town and IMAC rival. Coaching her inaugural Dig Pink game, new head coach Kyla Cook brought her team into this contest with a fiery spirit and hope for a win.

Before the game, the Spartans held a record of 3-6. While Minnehaha resides in second place in the IMAC conference standings, an upset could provide a huge boost to the team’s point total and morale.

The SPA gym was a packed house with a sea of pink filling the stands. With the selling of customized t-shirts and a raffle on numerous different big-ticket items, the hype for this year’s Dig Pink was very high.

During a pre-game interview, senior outside hitter Johnna Melk-Johnson said, “The last game was pretty close so it’s gonna be a fun game to watch.”

The first set was the start of a long night for the Spartans. The Redhawks went out to a 4-0 lead and didn’t look back. The Spartans had a very difficult time competing with the Redhawks due to mental errors and countless mis-hits.

After dropping the first set to put Minnehaha up 1-0, the Spartans seemed defeated. The Redhawks continued their domination winning two more straight sets to seal the sweep.

Senior captain Solvej Eversol said, “obviously it isn’t the result we wanted or thought was gonna happen, I hate losing more than anyone.”

The Spartans now hold an overall record of 3-7. This year’s event raised over $7,000 for the Sideout Foundation for metastatic breast cancer research and treatments.

Spartan Volleyball plays Oct. 14 at current conference leader Mounds Park Academy.