The Carlmont JV girls volleyball team ended the season strongly, defeating the Woodside Wildcats in just two sets on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Freshman outside hitter Ellyssa Won opened the first set with a 9-point serving streak, quickly setting the game’s tone. Soon after, sophomore libero Madeline Ho followed with a longer run of 11 consecutive serves. With Won and Ho’s strong performance, Carlmont claimed the first set with a 25-4 victory.
The drills the Scots completed in practice paid off. By dedicating time to refine their skills, they effectively prepared themselves for live situations, such as the ones encountered in this game.
“We worked on a lot of gameplay and supporting each other on the court. We also did a lot of other realistic drills that helped us improve the skills we use in an actual game,” Won said.
The second set played out as a competitive back-and-forth between the teams. Despite some miscommunications, both sides displayed strong performances, but ultimately, Carlmont secured the win with a final score of 25-17.
In the second set, most of the players on the court were different from those in the first, allowing all the players to get in the game.
“The team’s performance was absolutely outstanding. The challenge is that people who didn’t play as much during the season had to come in and perform, and they performed beautifully,” said head coach Mark Patenaude.
Alongside Patenaude, many players set a goal before the game to give it their all, pushing themselves to perform well and end the season on a high note.
“I’m proud of everyone for finishing strong. Overall, the team played really well. We started passing and connecting with each other more,” said sophomore setter Arina Bolsakova.
As is typical for teams, the Scots bonded during practices and games throughout the season, improving their connections on and off the court.
“I’m happy for the friendships that I created that are going to last outside of volleyball,” said sophomore defensive player Maya Yusupov.
Many players agreed with Yusupov, highlighting that volleyball is a great way to make friends that can last throughout high school and even further into the future.
“I think the season was fun, especially since it was my first season,” Won said. “It was good to get to know some really cool people.”
Though the season just ended, most of the team is already looking ahead to next year, excited to try out and hoping to continue their journey with volleyball at Carlmont. Additionally, Patenaude has expressed hope of continuing to coach for JV next year.
“I was coming in for just this season, but if I’m available and they want me back, I would love to come back,” Patenaude said.
