The sharp blast of the whistle brings excited cheers from the home crowd as the green and white volleyball smacks down on the glossy wooden floor under the feet of the black-clad South Pasadena Tigers. The Girls Varsity volleyball team pass around high fives as the girls put their game faces back on and play resumes, the team ready to score one last win.
The loud screech of skin on wood as bodies hit the floor to save a hard spike echoes around the gym. The combination of hard work during the preseason and a strong desire to win was visible this season during their games, where the players dug, set and spiked with ease. Their record of 2-7 for the Rio Hondo League season and 7-10 overall inspires them to work harder in seasons to come. This season is already an improvement from last year, where the team went 3-13 overall.
“Our season is going [well],” Junior Monica Liu said.” We have improved since last year, and we are working even harder than the year before”.
With eight returners and five newcomers, Coach Lyle Takeshita has put together a strong team that plays with intensity. Being a year older, every member of the team has contributed to the better overall season. Even with the lack of tall players, the team rises above their problems by working hard during practices and games. This year is a build up year for the new players to adjust to playing on a varsity level and for everybody to improve on their game.
“[The new players] bring the hope of a future,” Coach Takeshita said. “They’re doing more of a learning year for Varsity volleyball and they’re contributing for our overall team.”
Although the team tends to do well in the first one or two sets, concentrating on the game even when things start to go wrong is one aspect that the team needs to improve on for future seasons. After mistakes are made, it seems that their composure begins to unravel, leading to more errors. A recent example of this was on October 22, when the Rams had a 2-1 lead on Monrovia, yet in the end, lost the game 3-2.
“I think we’re not up to our full potential,” Sophomore Greta Xiong said. “We start out strong, but we’re sometimes inconsistent in later sets.”
One contributing factor to the excellent teamwork is that the Rams regularly have team bonding activities such as tie-dyeing t-shirts, hanging out after games and eating lunch together on Wednesdays. Another factor is how they practice, working on many drills that focus on passing and hitting, as well as scrimmaging. With enough hard work and persistence, The Lady Rams volleyball team will greatly improve in the future.
“We’re doing our best,” Liu said. “There isn’t anything I would change about our team.”
TCHS School Newspaper