The varsity girls volleyball team swept the Woodside Wildcats 3-0 in their first league game on Thursday evening.
The Bears opened the match with an immediate ace from senior libero Kiela King. The Bears and Wildcats knotted the score 7-7, capitalizing on long rallies and kills from seniors Duru Ruacan, Sienna Morales, and Meki Maile.
“They put pressure on us from the serving line early on, and we had to shift our serve receive to counter that,” King said.
After some minor adjustments to their serve receive, the Bears pulled ahead with senior Daniela Eline at the helm. Eline’s kills paired with defensive blocks from juniors Kayla Greenbaum and Jocelyn Chang kept the Wildcats’ offense at bay.
Despite some defensive miscues, M-A continued to extend their lead, winning the first set 25-18.
The second half began with a quick point by Woodside. M-A remained unfazed, promptly responding with a scoring spree with help from Eline and senior Sarah Littlefield, extending the Bears’ lead to 10-4 in the second set.
“Off the court, our team has a really great bond. We’ve all played together for years and are super tight. This chemistry has definitely contributed to amazing communication and trust on the court,” Eline said.
With momentum, chemistry, and a growing lead, the Bears showed no signs of slowing down. Diving defensive stops from King and Ruacan combatted any Wildcat offense and kept the score at 23-16 by the end of the second set.
M-A started the third set keen on completing the sweep. They quickly jumped ahead 6-1 with the help of a block by Morales and multiple kills by Littlefield. With their backs against the wall, the Wildcats refused to quit, clawing their way back to a score of 7-7. However, kills by Eline and Littlefield piled onto the Bears’ score, extinguishing any hopes of a Woodside comeback.
In a desperate attempt to slow the Bears’ unassailable offense, Woodside called a timeout. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the timeout produced no answers, and M-A went on to win the third set 25-14, solidifying their victory.
“I was really proud of our team’s performance today, as everybody contributed to this victory,” Ruacan said. “Hopefully we can maintain this momentum throughout league play and into the postseason.”
The Bears will return to home court against the San Mateo Bearcats on Thursday night at 5:30 p.m.
