On Tuesday night, the girls volleyball team dominated against the Sequoia Ravens in three quick sets of 25-13, 25-17, and 25-13. This game was the Bears’ first sweep of the season.
Junior and captain Daniela Eline had four spikes in a row during the first set, securing four points for the Bears. Repeated hits from junior Sienna Morales, senior Aria Sokol, and junior Meki Maile led the Bears to win the set.
The second set started with an impressive rally, ultimately ending in a point for the Ravens. The Bears didn’t give up, and quickly made a comeback. The Bears destroyed the Ravens with killer swings and a fast pace. With a total of five blocks in just the second set, Morales and Maile received numerous cheers from the crowd. Junior Kiela King also had some powerful saves after Sequoia responded.
The Ravens’ libero had a good serving round and racked up points for Sequoia, increasing the tension in the game. The Bears’ defense started to slow down, forcing the offense to become passive to avoid losing points. After the Ravens called a timeout, though, the Bears took advantage of Sequoia’s loss of momentum, dominating the court at a fast pace. “Usually we let other teams control the game too much, but this time we did a really good job at consistently doing our jobs on the court,” said Eline.
Senior Kate Budinger and junior Ava Chansari, who were injured earlier in the season, kept the energy high for the team from the bench.
After winning the first two sets, the Bears returned to the court with high energy and ready to finish the game. Eline and Sokol set up a strong block, increasing the Bears’ team total to nine.
After winning the third and final set with a spike from junior Duru Ruacan, the team celebrated winning in three sets—two sets fewer than their match against the Ravens last year. “In the future, we just need to play as a team and put in more effort—always playing at our 110%—even when the stakes aren’t as high,” said Eline.
Already focused on how to improve for the next game, Sokol added, “Next time we play Sequoia, we can definitely make it a bit snappier and make it come together more as a fast play.”
