Paly’s varsity volleyball team won its second pre-league game of the season, 3-2, in a close match against Woodside on Tuesday at home.
Paly recovered from a two set deficit, winning the last three sets to take the victory.
In the beginning of the first set, the score was close, but Woodside soon pulled ahead after Paly made many unforced errors. The gap widened when Woodside countered with effective blocks and kills, and the Vikings lost the first set, 19-25.
The girls stepped up their game in the second set but still trailed throughout the majority and lost, 23-25.
“We were not playing to our potential and weren’t talking on the court as much as we should have,” senior captain Ally Whitson said. “We needed a good pass, and from there, our hitters can put it away. We just have to go one point at a time.”
Despite being down two sets, the Vikings’ spirit and determination to win the match were not dampened.
“There was never a time in the match when I doubted my team,” junior Marissa Florant said. “We win together and will lose together. ”
In the third set, the Vikings dominated throughout. According to head coach Dave Winn, the team made 13 kills with three errors, winning the third game 25-12.
“We learned from our mistakes in the first two games…and put the first two sets behind us,” Whitson said.
The team gained the lead in the fourth set via multiple kills and blocks. According to Winn, the Vikings prevented 12 kills and won, 25-20.
Woodside put up more of a challenge in the fifth and final set, maintaining a constant one or two point gap between Paly and itself. The Vikings nevertheless prevailed with kills, blocks and digs from Whitson, Florant, junior Ke’ili Deal, sophomore Trina Ohlms and others, winning 15-12.
The girls’ mental strength was crucial in this close match and was negatively impacted with the multiple time-outs called from both sides.
“Volleyball is such a mental game,” Florant said, “especially when it comes to serving, which we struggled with because we got too mental and started making dumb errors.”
The team was unsatisfied with the amount of service errors made in the match. According to Winn, the team missed a total of 17 serves throughout the match.
“At all times you need to play your hardest,” Deal said. “Whether you are up or down, it is the best way to respect yourself, the game, and your opponent.”
The team is preparing for the Harbor Tournament on Sept. 20, the last of the pre-league tournaments. According to Winn, this tournament will present Paly with challenges, especially from volleyball teams from Harbor, Menlo, Aptos and Notre Dame Salinas.
“If we play to our fullest potential, we will have a great season because we have a very talented team,” Florant said.
The varsity volleyball team’s first league game will be against Mountain View at 6:45 p.m. on Sept. 25 at Paly.