Volleyball may be an ‘inside sport’, but it certainly isn’t one where ‘inside voices’ are used. Anyone who has attended O’Neill volleyball games in the school’s Jerry Kaplan gymnasium knows that – the players are yelling to one another, those on the sidelines are cheering on their teammates, the crowd gets into it, there’s a game announce (retired teacher Tom Cunane continues to fill that role), and there’s music during timeouts and between sets. It’s truly a festive atmosphere.

And then, when the home team is winning, as they were on September 17, it gets even louder. There was a good crowd on hand – fans of both the O’Neill and Port Jervis (which, by the way, is formerly known as Red Raiders, but, like the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District, has to select a new name) - and as football practice and soccer games ended outside, many students filtered into the gym to join the fun.

In the first set, O’Neill jumped out to an early lead, but Port Jervis was able to tie it 11 mid-set. Then there was a timeout, and O’Neill surged ahead, winning the first set 25-17. After the teams switched sides of the court for set two, play began and it was a little more evenly matched this time. Port Jervis went ahead, then O’Neill did, and eventually it was 25-18 O’Neill. Finally, in what would be the final set, the Raiders jumped out to an early 15-8 lead, but, again, Port Jervis clawed their way back and it was neck and neck until the final score of 25-22, giving O’Neill the set and match.

Earlier in the week the Raiders played and won their first game of the season, defeating Liberty 25-10, 25-9 and 25-7. In that game, Alyssa Blanche had 15 kills and six aces, Madeline Richardson had four kills and six aces and Cara Donohue had five kills and one ace.

Over the weekend, the Raiders participated in the Hendrick Hudson Invitational; on September 22 they travelled to Monroe-Woodbury for a game; and they are back at home on September 23 (6 p.m.) against Goshen.