Carlmont boys varsity volleyball beat Hillsdale High School in three straight sets on March 20, giving them a league record of 2-2. Carlmont beat Hillsdale in three sets, with the scores 25-12, 25-22, and 25-22.
“I think that the team did well tonight considering that they had a lot of substitutions. They might not necessarily have in tougher matches, but they still managed to find a way to work well together and come back when they were down and finish a close game under pressure,” said assistant coach sophomore Kaylie Moropoulos.
Hillsdale and Carlmont boys volleyball have only been offered for two years, and a lot of growth has developed in both.
Cole Jensen, a Hillsdale senior, said, “Last year we didn’t know volleyball that well, and it was rough, but we have improved a lot. They have a lot of really good players over there this year, but today they were close games.”
Many players on the team contribute this win to the tournament they played on March 18, in which they placed third.
Captain Christopher Ding, a senior, said, “After our Saturday tournament this last weekend, I think everyone improved on their individual skills. We learned to work better together throughout the course of the tournament and to play intensely for the whole game.”
The win can also be influenced by the tournament’s amount of play time without the stress of league points.
Moropoulos said, “The time at this tournament was really valuable because playing in a game situation is entirely different from practice and an opportunity many don’t often get before going into a normal league game. It takes off a lot of the pressure and will lead to more consistency.”
However, there is still much more to improve on as the season progresses.
Coach Michael Lapuz said, “We need to work on communication because there are still some players trying to get a feel for how to play volleyball. They need to work on what roles and responsibilities they need to perform for each rotation.”
Ding takes the wins from the following tournament and this match to increase team morale.
“We need to keep each other in check as well as keeping each other’s spirits high. It helps to have a common intensity within the team because it reinforces the idea that everyone wants to win the game and bring the most energy you can to the game,” said Ding.
Carlmont boys varsity volleyball will play on March 22, against Mills High School.
