Paly was victorious Thursday night, in a very difficult game against the Mountain View Spartans.

The match went a full five games, after the Vikings rebounded from being down, 2-1, and facing elimination to pull out the victory.

“Our team did an awesome job keeping up the competitiveness and focus in all five games,” Paly senior Ashley Acuff said.

Paly took an early 7-3 lead in the first game, but it didn’t last for long as Mountain View got back in the game, tying it at 7-7. Palo Alto junior Allie Whitson put the Vikings up 10-8 after a spike between two defenders. The Spartans went on 5-0 run and stole the momentum. Paly finally tied it at 16 all, after another Whitson spike, but it wasn’t enough as Mountain View went on to win 25-19, with two kills by junior outside hitter Megan McConnell.

“In the beginning we had a little trouble executing plays and playing smart,” Palo Alto senior Euna Oh said.

The Vikings came out much stronger in game two and took control from the beginning, with an early 11-5 lead. The Spartans battled back in the game, but a key spike by junior Daniella Florant gave Paly a hold on the game. This time the Vikings finished the game with a score of 25-19.

Both teams battled to take the lead as the score was even 1-1 in the best of five series. McConnell gave Mountain View an early 5-0 advantage with several spectacular spikes. A combination of good team play and two key kills by Whitson and senior Hillary Ford got Paly back in the game. It was even for the majority of the game until the Spartans pulled away with a spike by their top outside hitter, followed by another to end the game 25-18.

“They [Mountain View] brought it. They used their key players, found our weaknesses, and kept bringing it on strong,” Acuff said.

Facing elimination and their first league loss, the Vikings knew a tough task was ahead of them.

As the Spartans tried to finish Paly off, the Vikings fought even harder to stay in the game. Two clutch plays by junior Allie Coleman including a well placed tip into a hole in the defense kept Palo Alto safe. Florant was able to close out the game, 25-20, with a solid spike to force game five.

“Confidence really kept us in the game,” Acuff said. “When we’re confident, we play our game, and it doesn’t matter what team is on the other side of the net.”

The Vikings came out full of confidence and intensity, playing flawless defense. McConnell and Florant traded kills, but Florant would get the final word, delivering the smack down to game five 15-9 and closing out the match.

“Our team has been really good this season about treating every match and team the same way, so I think every match we play is the hardest one. we just have to play our game,” Acuff said.

After this victory Paly remains undefeated with a 5-0 league record. The Vikings will hope to maintain their record as they face Homestead at home on Oct. 8. Homestead is the only other remaining undefeated team in the De Anza league, so a win will give the victor a big advantage in winning league.