The Burlingame Panthers took an intense first set against the Carlmont Scots and kept applying pressure to sweep the Scots in three straight sets in their second league matchup on Thursday, Oct. 10th.
Both teams started on the offense with many long rallies and strong plays at the net. The Panthers were able to take a 5-point lead but the Scots persevered and caught a rhythm to come back after powerful hits from juniors Brooke Toomasson and Chloe Harris. Both teams kept pushing to 25-25, and the Panthers capitalized on unforced errors from the Scots, winning the set 27-25.
“We wanted to sweep them again, even though they aren’t our specific rival, we take it as a rivalry game,” said Panthers senior Ella Duong.
With this mindset from the Panthers, they were able to dominate the second set. The Panthers started with a solid lead and kept it up. All the energy was with the Panthers as they took the second set 25-13.Â
The Scots hit many shots long, giving the Panthers an 8-2 lead to start the third set. Once again, the Panthers kept a clear lead throughout the set. The Scots attempted to go on a run to come back but came up short, losing 25-18.
“This team has great potential, we are just scratching the surface. We are third in the league even after our loss today,” said Sergio Smirnoff, Carlmont’s coach.
Even after the tough loss, the Scots feel good about the rest of their season. They believe they can have a successful year and hope to improve from their latest performance.
“We’re going to keep working on those little details to clean up and polish our game,” Smirnoff said.
The Scots showed signs of their potential early in the first set when they kept up with the authoritative Panthers. The Scots have many new additions to their varsity team, and as they learn to play together and fix mistakes from previous games, they have a bright future ahead.
“The season’s already halfway through, and so far, it’s a great sisterhood. I feel so supported and hope we can end strong,” Przybyszewski said.
