Alyssa Bish

Junior Alexandra Bieser screams in excitement after Aragon called a timeout. Oftentimes, positive energy is the deciding factor in the outcome of a game. “I maintain positivity by channeling my energy and emotions from the game toward helping my team succeed,” Bieser said.

Carlmont’s varsity girls volleyball team fell to the Aragon Dons in a hard-fought battle over four sets at home on Thursday, Oct. 12.

The first set started off close with both teams trading points. The Scots then started to pull away, leaving the final score for the first set 25-16. But after the strong start, the Scots lost the next three sets.

“I think both me and the whole team, we all really want to win. This is a big game for us. We also had really tight matches with Aragon and played really well against them,” said Lillian Fox, a senior middle blocker for Carlmont.

After winning the first set, the Scots would then go on to give up a seven-point lead in the second set. With tensions rising on the benches from coaches and players, the Scots would come back to make the score 16-13, still in favor of Aragon. The Dons would eventually take this set from the Scots.

Late in the third set, the Scots battled themselves into a 23-23 tie. Aragon fought back to bring the score up by one. In the final moments of the set, Carlmont senior Pailey Deborde slammed the ball down on Aragon’s side of the court, keeping the Scots in for a few more moments. Aragon would score two more points ending the set at 26-24 for the Dons.

“Before the game, we just come in playing a lot harder because we knew what they were gonna do. We knew how they’re gonna play” said Isabelle Won, a senior for Carlmont. “It was just a matter of execution for us. But I think we went in strong with energy but not enough at some points in the game.”

In the fourth and final set, the Dons pulled away with an early 10-4 lead. The Scots battled but were unable to come back. A final serve from Aragon left Carlmont losing 24-15.

Throughout the season, Carlmont has dealt with an array of injuries, but their chemistry and bond have kept them in close games.

“Nothing is guaranteed, but we’re doing pretty good, even with the situation we were having with the injuries,” said Grace Smirnoff, Carlmont’s coach.

Despite the loss, the coaches still have hopes for the playoffs. Carlmont is now 5-6 and fourth in the league with three games left in the regular season. The Scots will play Menlo-Atherton, the number one team in the league, along with Hillsdale and Sequoia, who are both below them in the standings.

When Smirnoff was asked about the playoffs, she said, “I believe.”

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Alyssa Bish

Carlmont assistant coach Sergio Smirnoff high-fives players as they run onto the court. The Scots do this before every game to hype themselves up. Though they did not win this game, their energy and spirit levels were high throughout the matches.