The Carlmont boys JV volleyball team fell short in an away game against the Aragon Dons on March 18 with a final score of 2-0.
The Dons scored many points early in the game, making it tougher for the Scots to catch up. Their team was making good plays and was guarding both the middle and the sides heavily, which was a challenge for the Scots.
The Dons were very strong in communication and in connecting in the middle, making it harder for the Scots to make accurate spikes.
“In the first couple of points, the momentum of the game changed. Our middle has a really big block, and I think that set the energy,” said Maxwell Jiang, a freshman opposite hitter for Aragon.
The first set ended 25-17, with the Scots falling short. Despite being down, the Scots kept making good hits in the second set.
“Our bench had some good cheers which kept us motivated, and our hitters were hitting very well,” said Eugene Zhukov, a freshman middle blocker for Carlmont.
Both teams were going back and forth for most of the game, making multiple spike attempts, with Aragon achieving a higher success rate. Due to good communication on the Aragon side, the team connected passes and made multiple plays that earned them points.
“Communication definitely helped us be more together and coordinated as a team, and especially when we are running our offense,” Jiang said.
The second set ended 25-14, giving the Scots their first loss of the season and the Dons their ninth win.
This game allowed the Scots to reflect and realize what they may need to work on for their next games.
“Although our hitters were playing very well, they just weren’t playing very smart. I don’t think enough tips and roll shots were being utilized to get a point,” Zhukov said.
The Scots had a 7-game winning streak before the matchup against Aragon. To achieve the best results, the Aragon head coach, Diean Hala’ufia, made sure to come prepared for the game.
“We have had a couple of tournaments that prepared us for this, and the boys have been working really hard,” Hala’ufia said.
Despite being Carlmont’s first loss of the season, this game allowed the Scots to improve for future games, both against other teams and against Aragon.
“This game was a good start because Carlmont is a really good team, so they’ll rally back,” Hala’ufia said.
With more games to look forward to, the Scots are learning where to improve, while the Dons remain strong.
