The Carlmont Scots varsity girls volleyball team fell short in a nail-biting, 5-set match at the Menlo-Atherton Bears’ territory on Oct. 14.
The match was extremely close, and the teams seemed to have a similar skill level. The Scots won the first two sets, but they lost the final three. Carlmont’s head coach, Sergio Smirnoff, was extremely proud of the team’s ability to stay determined throughout the match.
“Our outside hitters were amazing, and they helped score most of the sets,” Smirnoff said. “The setters were very good, allowing us to push those first two sets out of the way.”
Outside hitters and setters played key roles in keeping the match competitive. The Carlmont outside hitters delivered powerful spikes, causing the players from Menlo-Atherton to miss. The setters directed the ball, creating chances to gain points.
“The energy at the beginning of the game was high, but by the fourth set, we started to get in our heads and did not play up to our standards,” said sophomore Ellyssa Won.
The team’s loss of motivation after winning the first two sets took a toll on the game, affecting the players’ focus and energy. This led to a drop in the team’s confidence and a decline in their performance, but senior captain Brooke Toomasson was ready to lift their spirits.
The Scots felt determined after Toomasson’s uplifting talk, so the team was able to rally when feeling down during the fourth set.
“After today, I feel that if we work on our mental game, we will be able to overcome challenging circumstances,” Toomasson said.
The Scots were tied for a while throughout every match, but the referees penalized the Scots several times.
“This held us back and had us on a slippery slope. I told my players to continue to stay strong and bring all the skills we have been working on in practice,” Smirnoff said.
Playing at a varsity level is very intense, and being able to maintain high performance through difficulties is essential, which the Scots have been working on.
“Intensity is the name of the game. The lineup is set to face games like this, and we knew that the game would be this intense,” Smirnoff said.
While the Scots dropped this match, they showed strong effort, and are now thinking about where they go next.
Coach Smirnoff knows the team improved and is ready to prepare for their next game.
“Keep working on our strength, and focus on keeping the energy up until the very last point,” Smirnoff said.
