On Oct. 12, 2013, De Soto hall’s will be graced with the presence of multiple high school volleyball teams who all have the same goal: to win Spikefest.

Spikefest is hosted by De Soto High School, and it is considered one of the bigger tournaments of the year. This year there will be 12 teams, two of which De Soto has never played before. With that influx of teams, however, comes more competition.

“It is pretty tough competition. We invite some pretty competitive teams. We also have teams from our League that we have beaten in the past, but when it comes to tournaments you never know what to expect,” senior Shelby Philbrook said.

A few years ago De Soto placed second in the tourament, but last year the team did not place as high. Although the team was dissappointed with its performance, this year the team is hoping to win the tournament.

“We have set a team goal of winning a tournament, and we have not done that yet, and this is our last opportunity to do that, so we are really focused on doing well this time,” Philbrook said.

Head coach Lindsay Hothan also believes the team has a chance.

“The team dynamic is different,” Hothan said, “Everyone is on the same page as to what the goals are.”

Besides winning the tournament the team hopes to stay consistent throughout the entire tournament. Philbrook expects the team to “step up” in order to win Spikefest.

“I think everybody wants the same thing, so I feel like it is going to be a big day,” Philbrook said.

At the tournament most teams will play five or six rounds. In the finals there will be single elimination.

This is the first year that all four courts will be held at DHS. Unlike last year, when two courts were located at the middle school, two of the courts will be held in the new gym and the other two in the auxiliary gym.

Overall the volleyball team is looking forward to the tournament with Hothan believing this is one of the girls’ favorite tournaments.

“We are just really excited. It is one of the most exciting tournaments we do just because it is at home. We are really pumped about it,” Philbrook said.