{
  "id": 5012412,
  "title": "Highlands volleyball pushes through rough start to sit in first place in 27-5A",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/highlands-volleyball-pushes-through-rough-start-to-sit-in-first-place",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-02T04:08:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/highlands-volleyball-pushes-rough-start-040803539.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Highlands volleyball team has turned its recent struggles into a strong start, securing the top spot in District 27-5A. After a rough opening four matches, the Owls have now won 3 consecutive matches, sweeping Brackenridge 25-20, 25-12, and 25-21 on Tuesday at Lanier Activity Center. Senior Jenesis Rodriguez, a four-year letterwinner, acknowledged the team's initial lack of determination, saying, \"We went through the motions, not wanting to give it our all.\" However, the team has since learned to bounce back from down moments and play with resilience. Junior setter Riley Reyes, who had 28 assists and nine digs, emphasized the importance of coming back from being down, stating, \"The fact we can come back from being down is one of the biggest assets of our team.\" The Owls' progress is evident in their 8-2 record in their last 10 matches, bringing them closer to potentially returning to the playoffs for the 11th time in coach Desiree Lara's 12 seasons.",
  "summary": "The Owls lost four in a row to start the volleyball season, but led by a core of Jenesis Rodriguez, Riley Reyes and Cybella Davila, they've turned their season around.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}