Jeff Moeller, sports correspondent

Despite a 12-3 record entering this week, Richmond Hill head girls’ volleyball coach Danielle Ennis is keeping everything in its proper perspective.

“We are a young team, and with that comes some growing pains,” noted Ennis. “We’re still learning how to handle pressure, stay composed when things aren’t going our way, and finish matches when we have the opportunity. Those are lessons that can’t always be taught in practice—you must experience them.”

Through it all, Ennis has appreciated her team’s resolve and determination. The Wildcats are in the hunt for their fifth consecutive championship. They are playing in the new Class 7A bracket this season.

“This season has definitely had its challenges, but I’m proud of how this team has continued to compete and fight,” said Ennis. “We’ve had two tough losses recently, and both were matches that were within our reach. Those are the ones that hurt because we know we are capable of winning them. At the same time, those matches have shown us exactly where we need to grow.”

As far as statistics, junior Raeden Sander lead the team in kills with 89, freshman Lily West has 23 serving aces, junior Daisy Willis has 171 assists, senior Kaliah King has 15 blocks, senior Alexa Anderson has 141 digs, and sophomore Kherington Babb has a hitting percentage of .284.

Ennis and her players are anxious to further develop as a team. Playing in the new 7A bracket, the Wildcats have an ambitious schedule ahead. They currently have a 2-1 region mark.

“We have some hurdles in front of us, but I don’t see them as things that define this team,” said Ennis. “I see them as opportunities to get better. We need to clean up some things, become more consistent, and learn to trust each other when the pressure is on.

“The exciting thing is that I know there is a lot of volleyball still ahead of us. This team has talent, but more importantly, they have the ability to grow. If we can learn from these close losses and use them as motivation rather than frustration, I think we can become a much stronger team as the season progresses.”

It is about working to raise their game every day in practice.

“Our goal is to keep improving every time we step on the court,” added Ennis. “We’re not going to let a couple of tough matches determine what this season can be.”

Ennis has watched her squad make some adjustments, but she knows her team is still a work in progress. They faced Camden again and also met Lowndes in a tri-match Tuesday. The Wildcats dropped a 2-1 decision to Camden Aug. 25.

“With the most recent loss to a region opponent, Camden, I think our biggest hurdle is learning to finish,” said Ennis. “We’ve shown that we can compete with good teams, but now we have to learn how to stay disciplined and confident when a match gets tight. That comes down to trusting our training, trusting each other, and not letting one mistake turn into several.”