Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball team secured 2nd place at the Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS)  tournament on Sep. 9. The team stayed strong throughout the tournament, utilizing their strengths and staying in the lead until their final match.

Their first game, which they played against Marshall High School (MHS), started with Arcadia’s serve. The score quickly rose in Arcadia’s favor as our team stayed on top of their game, communicating well and increasing the gap between the scores in a way that ensured their win. The match ended with a solid win for our Lady Apaches, with a score of 2-0.

After the game against Marshall, AHS moved into more competitive bracket play, playing only one set as opposed to a full game. 

In the following match, the team consistently played as a unit and earned another strong victory against Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy (FSHA). Although the set started off with a point in FSHA’s favor, our Apaches recovered quickly, surpassing them and securing a final score of 25-6. 

Arcadia’s third game was against Chaminade High School (CHS), which the team had not expected to go in their favor. However, they once again reigned victorious with a score of 25-12. The match began with Arcadia’s serve, and the team showed high energy throughout the game. They displayed true determination and perseverance, and they maintained a higher score than Chaminade through all the sets. Their energy led to a fast paced match with strong offense and defense.

“The game that stood out the most to me was our game against Chaminade because of the energy our team had, especially because we weren’t expected to win,” said sophomore outside hitter Isabelle Mazakian.

The fourth game, against CVHS, was the one that tested Arcadia’s resilience. Freshman middle Chloe Kai expressed the team’s expectations of CV and how they felt they would perform. 

“I think before the match we were all kind of nervous because they are our rival school. Overall, we knew what we were capable of though. [CV] was definitely challenging from the start and we all knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy game,” Kai stated.

Armed with the knowledge that they needed to remain alert and at the top of their game throughout the match, the Apaches worked together to defeat a formidable opponent. The game ended with a score of 25-20.

Following the game, Kai shared her opinions on the game against CVHS.

“We [had] expected a game that needed endurance and fighting spirit till the very end. CV’s performance was great in terms of skill and player physique,” she said.

In the final match, Arcadia and Mayfield High School (MHS) were neck and neck in competition, and the scores remained tied or a few points in variation until the very end. Both teams performed well, never letting victory out of either of their sights. However, the final score was 26-28, putting our Apaches in 2nd place for the tournament overall.

Kai and Mazakian both believe that the team had a strong performance throughout the tournament, although they think they could have held a stronger front in the last two matches.

“In my opinion, we could’ve played better in our last two games against CV and Mayfield,” Mazakian said.

“Overall though, I think we played really well as a team and most of the games went by smoothly,” she added.

As a whole, our Lady Apaches displayed the strength and determination within the team. They worked together, supported each other, and truly embodied what it means to be an Apache. Congratulations to the Girls JV Volleyball team!

Photo courtesy of the @arcadiapachevolleyball Instagram