Junior Lillian Fox jumps to spike the ball.
Bears grab a tight win over the Scots
Varsity girls volleyball suffered a 3-2 defeat against the Menlo Atherton Bears after five tireless back-and-forth sets.
The Scots lost the last four league games they played, adding pent-up emotions to their already challenging game on Oct. 6. Carlmont came into the game knowing that they had lost the past four matches against Menlo Atherton.
The Scots’ past few games have been a mental challenge as they faced the league’s top three teams. The games were close and competitive, dragging on until the fifth set.
Outside hitter and senior captain, Chianti Raddavero, expressed the mental struggle the Scots encountered going into the game.
“A lot of feelings were pent up at that moment, and it wasn’t really until this game that we really let it come to us and let that stuff get in our head,” Raddavero said.
Feeling defeated before the game began, the Scots started slow and were quickly shut down by the Bears in the first set, 25-10.
Tied 23-23 in the second set, Raddavero served up a clutch ace to bring the Scots into the lead. Freshman Alyssa Ison got a kill for the final point on the next serve, giving the Scots a second-set win.
Following the pattern from the second set, the teams rally evenly, but the Bears slightly outmatched the Scots and took the third set victory.
The pressure and suspense continued as the Scots enter the fourth set, knowing they needed to win. The energy levels in the gym reach an all-time high as fans in the stands cheer and chant, giving the Scots enough enthusiasm to win the set 25-16.
“A lot of things in volleyball are based on energy. However you find that energy and whatever happens to get that energy, it motivates you, it brings you up physically, and you are able to perform at a higher level,” Raddavero said.
However, the players’ motivation to perform well did not come only from the players.
“In that fourth set, we had everybody cheering on the sidelines. That energy makes you want to do it for everyone in the gym,” Raddavero said.
Back to a tied game, both teams went into the fifth set with a chance of winning. The Scots started to slow down halfway through the set, allowing the Bears to ultimately take the win.
The Bears led for most of the set, and it wasn’t until the score was 13-6 when the Scots began to make a comeback. Carlmont’s senior libero, Kiana Domingo was able to cut the Bears’ lead to two but it wasn’t enough for the Scots.
With this difficult loss, the Scots will go on with a conference record of 11-11 and a league record of 3-6, placing sixth in the 8-team league.
The importance of maintaining positivity and getting off to a strong start remains a game-changing aspect for the Scots.
“We gave it everything that we could, and we really had the hunger for it. We were just too late,” Domingo said.
Article published: Oct. 9, 2022