The Vikings came out strong against cross-town rival Gunn at Tuesday night’s varsity volleyball match, winning all three games.

“Beating Gunn is always exciting, especially on their home floor in front of a large crowd,” said senior captain Hillary Ford, whose performance for the night was especially strong.

With a packed crowd at Gunn’s Robert A. Bow gymnasium to witness the match, both opposing teams were in for a rigorous battle. In the beginning of the game, Gunn and Paly went back and forth, with neither team gaining more than a one-point advantage until Paly broke out of this trend, capturing a 7-5 lead. After a nice kill by Palo Alto junior Allie Whitson, the Vikings began pulling away. Gunn coach Raudel Perez tried using two of his time-outs to stop the Paly run, to no avail. The Vikings went on to win the first game, 25-13.

“After the first game I was worried that since we beat them by so much that we wouldn’t come out with the same intensity,” Ford said.

Senior Ashley Acuff opened up the second game with an ace up the middle. After several mistakes on Paly’s part, Gunn took its largest lead of the night, 4-2. The Vikings soon rebounded and reclaimed their lead with an amazing play by senior Euna Oh that gave Paly a 6-4 lead. This was by far the toughest game of the night as both teams ended up neck-and-neck in a 17-17 tie. The Vikings then put up six straight points before ending the second game with a 25-20 victory.

“We played really well as a team and our passing was really good too,” Ford said.

In the third game, Paly came out strong and went on a 5-0 run, capped off with a powerful spike by Ford. Gunn finally got on the board but was still no match for the Vikings who were playing their best. The Vikings finished the night with a 25-16 victory for the final game.

“I’m always excited when we play Gunn in any sport,” said Mohammed Abid, Paly’s ASB President, who attended the game. “It’s for the bragging rights of the town.”

This victory raises Paly’s league record to 3-0 and keeps the team tied for first in the De Anza Leauge.

After a strong preseason, where they went undefeated, Gunn now falls to 0-2 in league.

“We’re a strong team, but we were lacking energy and we need to step it up because this league is really tough,” said Gunn defensive specialist Libby Craig.

The next faceoff between the Vikings and the Titans won’t be until Oct. 23, but this time the Gunn will make the trip across town.

Paly’s next match is on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 6:45 p.m. against Saratoga.