The Lady Apaches came through yet again with another win on Oct.17. With solid technique, great teamwork, and strong players, the Girls Varsity volleyball team beat Crescenta Valley High School (CV) with a score of 3-0.

This game was the last league game for the Apaches before moving on to CIF. It was also the Varsity Volleyball team’s senior night, where the team gathers together to celebrate the seniors who are graduating, as the season is coming to an end.

The team’s libero, Lily Gustafsson, believed the team played an amazing season and that that the team has improved dramatically from last year. In a sport like volleyball where the height of the players is extremely important, the Apaches were at a disadvantage going into the season because the players were much shorter than last year. However, the disadvantage did not stop the Apaches and they still managed to win the majority of their games. The chemistry and teamwork among the players were excellent, contributing to their wins.

Lily thinks they have all come a long way since their daily practices and games began in the summer, and they ended league in second place because of their “strong defense, aggressive serves, and smart strategies”. The energy and excitement of the crowd on Thursday night brought out everyone’s full potential, and they all had “so much fun”. Lily loves the team with “all of her heart,” and she knows they’re going to compete well in playoffs in the following week.

“The game against CV was really important because we had to beat them to place second in league,” Lily explained. Since they lost the previous game to CV, they were determined to win this one. From even before the season started, Coach Stephen has put them to high standards and has been training them to do their very best. They are always pushing themselves to play better and improve, and that definitely won’t change as they head into CIFs. The team is currently in Division 3.

In the last set, Lily hurt her ankle and had to sit out. That was a really scary experience for the team, as she is such an integral player. However, everyone made sure to step up and execute their roles in order to finish the game as quickly as possible. Something like that could have completely thrown off the game, but everyone stayed focused and played well. Sofia Mediana, another player on the Varsity team, thinks that “wouldn’t have been possible without confidence in ourselves and each other.” It was a truly incredible game. We wish the Varsity Volleyball team the best of luck moving into the CIF competition!