Digging, setting and hitting isn’t all that easy, especially when you’re playing against some of the best teams in the country. That is what the varsity Eagles volleyball team did at the Asics Challenge Oct. 2nd and 3rd, in Chicago.

Krystal Tranel, ‘18 said, “It’s a very tough tournament to compete in, and we had to be ready for anything and everything that would come our way.” The Eagles battled to a 2-3 record, placing 15th out of 24 teams.

After the match against Linn- Mar on Tuesday, Coach Lindsey Beaves said, “We just came back from Asics and coming back from a tournament like that you either get better or you start to fall apart; I think we got better. We have really improved.” The Eagles took the first set then trailed in the last three sets, giving the match to Linn- Mar.

Although the girls played a great amount of volleyball that weekend, the Eagles also spent time giving back as well. As a team, they supported Sophomore Coach Jan Thyne and her family by participating in a walk for Histiocytosis. Coach Thyne’s nephew is fighting Histiocytosis. Histiocytosis is a disorder that involves an unusual number of immune cells being produced called histiocytes.

In addition to the 5k walk, the team participated in a hula hooping contest and musical chairs.

They also got to meet Thyne’s nephew Liam, and watch him participate in a little kids’ race. Once a very heated competition of musical chairs between Ana Gall and Gretchen Swift ended, the team packed everything up and were homeward bound.

Eagles are ready to get back into conference play. “This is all helping us prepare for post-season which is where we want to be in November,” Tranel said.

They take on Iowa City West at Iowa City, next Tuesday, Oct. 13. They continue to prepare and bust their tail feathers to be “All In.”