In a season of highs and lows, Carlmont’s varsity volleyball team lost in their last game to the Hillsdale Knights. Hillsdale defeated Carlmont in three intense sets on their senior night, claiming victory with a score of 3-0.
For many seniors, the game was a milestone in their playing careers and signified the end of their high school careers. Players from both teams were emotional going into this game. Despite overwhelming emotions, the coaches maintained an emphasis on staying focused.
“The biggest problem with senior night is that everyone gets too emotional. These girls have been emotional all day long. So basically I told them, ‘When we start this game, lose all of the tears, lose your emotion and let’s get focused on playing,’” said Hillsdale head coach Dwight Crump.
Infectious energy spread throughout the players, coaches, and the sizeable audience who came to cheer on the seniors. For Carlmont, the level of energy and friendships across the teams played a big role in their game.
“[The team] had a lot of energy going into the game cause it was our last game. The seniors were excited to play for the last time but they were also nervous because Hillsdale is a very good team; they’re undefeated. But they were happy to play because they have friends on the other side,” said Carlmont head coach Allison Roque.
The first set of the game began with a serve from Hillsdale senior Caitlin Musich that went untouched. The first set went back and forth, with both sides exchanging the lead.
Near the end of the first set, Hillsdale began to pull away, with senior Victoria Vanos getting the Knights their 24th point with a hard serve. A few moments later, Hillsdale won the 25th point, ending the first set 25-18.
In the second set, the first point of the game went to the Knights, but the leads continued to be exchanged until Knights emerged on top. Grit and hustle marked Carlmont’s efforts during this set, noticeable in the strong spikes from Hillsdale that were met with low dives from the Scots, but the Knights eventually won 25-15.
During the third set, Carlmont started off strong with three consecutive points. Again, the score remained close until the end of the set. Powerful spikes from the Knights distanced them from the Scots, bringing the score to 24-17 in the final moments of the game. A pinpoint serve just barely missed the reach of senior Nataché Adan, ending Carlmont’s season.
After the game, emotions of excitement, sadness, and pride were felt by players, coaches, friends, and family members.
In an interview shortly after the game ended, senior Jordan Yee shared the significance of this last game to her. For Yee, she wanted to highlight her journey and thank her teammates. Among her teammates, fellow seniors such as Trinity Chow, Larkin Chock, and Nataché Adan had played with Yee for many years.
Yee said, “I just want to thank all of my teammates, some of which I played [with] the whole seven years including club and Ralston Middle School. We played from sixth all the way to varsity together so it was really nice.”
