The crowd stood up, raising a single finger in anticipation as they stared at the gym floor. The whistle blew and the room exploded. The girls’ varsity volleyball team made Sage Hill history on Nov. 5 by defeating St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in an on campus game for the first time in Sage Hill’s 13 years.

“It feels great making Sage history with these girls. The connection we share surpasses a typical team bond. I’m so glad we were able to accomplish this not only for us but also for Sage,” senior Alexandra Mowrey said.

The girls’ varsity volleyball team beat their opponents quickly with a score of 25-19 the first set, 25-16 the second set and 25-7 the third and final set. The game was their last league game with the league title at stake and now the team will be moving on to CIF playoffs.

“This team has been working incredibly hard putting in the extra hours to get workouts in and improve their volleyball skills,” senior Sophia Gordon said. “We treat every game like it’s our last and pull out everything we have.”

The game was also the team’s senior night. Seniors Claudia Noto, Juliette Singarella, Gordon and Mowrey were honored with posters all over the gym. They also took pictures with their families before the game began.

“This has been a really special year for our volleyball team. We have a great team dynamic both on and off court, and I think that contributes a lot to our success,” Noto said.

There were three food trucks in front of the school for spectators. Coupled with town meeting announcements to promote the evening match, the game had a passionate audience that was on its feet for a significant part of the game.

“I’ve never been so proud of a team. We had a difficult loss against Crean Lutheran but we found a way to turn it in our favor and use it as motivation against St. Margaret’s Episcopal School,” Singarella said. “It only made the victory sweeter.”

Prior to the varsity match, the girls’ J.V. volleyball team won 2-0 to finish first in league play.