Carlmont JV volleyball celebrated a smooth conclusion to their season, dominating the Hillsdale Knights two sets to none in an impressive display of strength and resilience from both sides.
This year has proven to be a spectacular season for Carlmont JV girls volleyball. Their current Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) ranking is No. 2 among eight teams, with a record of 9-4.
In a previous encounter, the Scots had defeated the Knights 2-0, and they were determined to do the same during the Oct. 26 game. Aside from a competitive spirit, Michelle Spence, Carlmont’s head coach also emphasized the importance of having fun.
“I [wanted to give] everybody a chance to play the same amount of time so that all the girls can enjoy their last game,” Spence said.
Carlmont gained a solid lead of 10-3 within minutes of the first set, despite Hillsdale having the first serve. The Scots’ outside hitter, Sophia Schreiber, scored multiple line shots and cuts that Hillsdale struggled to defend.
However, the Knights were quick to adapt. With the help of Christina Campie’s blocks and Liliyana Delgadillo’s formidable spikes, they were able to gain back a substantial number of points.
Even so, the first set ended 25-11 in favor of the Scots.
They definitely played better than the last time we saw them, so I think that they improved. It was just easy to read their defense, and that’s also why we did so well.”
— Carlmont Head Coach Michelle Spence
“Our communication and serve-receive were not the best today, and I think that impacted our performance,” said Chloe Huang, a defensive specialist and libero for Hillsdale. “Our offense went really well though. The people front row got some really good blocks and hits.”
The second set started off well for Carlmont. Sophomore libero Izzy Won pulled off a series of exceptional serves, bringing the score to 13-2.
After calling a time-out, Hillsdale successfully broke the Scots’ streak with multiple impressive spikes by outside hitter Natasha Abbaszadeh. The Scots, on the other hand, lost some of their momentum.
“Towards the end of the second set, our energy dropped a bit, and we made some simple errors,” said Lillian Fox, one of Carlmont’s team captains and a sophomore.
The Scots were able to finish with a score of 25-6 despite a few bad plays. They were elated to end the season on such a high note.
“I thought our team played really well overall, and we’re very communicative throughout the game,” Fox said. “Our serving was excellent this game, especially at the beginning of the second set. We also had some great kills throughout the game.”
The Knights also played well and were satisfied with their efforts, though they had a few regrets.
“Our team worked and played hard this game, but I think we could have communicated to each other a bit more to avoid running into one another,” Huang said.
Both the Scots and Knights made a spectacular effort in this game, demonstrating excellent teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship.
“Overall, I think this game was a great end to our season. Everyone played their best, and we all had a really fun time being on such a great team,” Fox said.
