The SRA gym was transformed into a sea of white, as fans wore this color to support the girls’ varsity team during their “whiteout” CIF game. During the October 21st home game for CIF, SRA played against Yucaipa. This was a new opponent for the Rangers because Yucaipa is in a different division. Despite never playing them before, the Rangers did really well, making it an incredibly close game. For the ten seniors on the team, this was a bittersweet ending. Makayla Bennett (12th grade) dominated during the third set when she was able to get 10 serves in a row. This was impressive as Yucaipa seemed to be winning during the first two sets. “Winning that set was a highlight because it gave us hope and energy,” exclaimed Ashlyn Metz. By the fourth set, the Rangers had caught back up. Captain Jeanine Nunez (12th grade) worked really hard to bring her team back by hyping them up and leading them on the court. Unfortunately, the Rangers lost the game by a single point, which made it even more heartbreaking.

At the banquet, Coach Culhane described how it was really impressive that the girls had a 14-0 record. She mentioned that the girls coming up to Varsity next year would have big shoes to fill. The banquet was catered by Canes and the girls received their letters and awards. Ashlyn Metz (12th grade) received the MVP award for the season. Makayla Bennett received the Ranger award for being a team player on and off the court. The girls also found out if they made first or second team all league. This is when all of the coaches in the league get together to vote on players who display exceptional talent and sportsmanship.

After the season ended, many of the girls began focusing on their other athletic commitments. Some of the girls are on the cheer team, some are starting the soccer season, and some are getting in some early preparation for softball. Additionally, one of the girls will be graduating early. Chloe Heiner (12th grade) has met all of her requirements to graduate in December. She will be attending Brigham Young University in Idaho, starting during the spring semester.

The girls were very emotional at the end of the season because it was the last time for the seniors to play at SRA. They also felt like their team played better than ever this year.

“This year everyone was really connected and close, so we were able to play well together in the games,” explained Chloe Heiner (12th grade). Senior Makayla Bennett agreed with these sentiments saying “Going to CIF was the best because we moved up five divisions and we were undefeated. I also got to play with my best friends during my senior year, which is something that I will never forget.” Ashlyn Metz offered some great advice to next year’s varsity team. “Just enjoy it, but also take it seriously, because winning is fun too.”