Paly’s varsity girls’ volleyball team (7-2) easily swept the Los Altos Eagles (3-7), 3-0, on Monday at home after struggling to win three difficult matches in previous weeks.
“We needed a complete match where we did all facets of the game well,” head coach Dave Winn said.
The Vikings gained the lead in the beginning of the first set and led throughout the remainder of the game because of to kills and aces from senior Ally Whitson and junior Marissa Florant. The girls won the first game, 25-13.
Despite an early lead in the first game, Winn did not share the same initial optimism that the team had.
“Sometimes, I don’t like it when we jump out to big leads since we have a tendency to back off and get complacent,” Winn said. “Tonight we didn’t do that.”
The Vikings also led in the beginning of the second set because of to Los Altos’ multiple unforced errors. Later, the Eagles matched Paly point for point as the set drew to a close. The Vikings still stayed ahead and won, 25-11.
“We were confident, but not cocky,” sophomore libero Megan Coleman said. “We really tried hard for every point to extend our lead. ”
In the final set, Los Altos tried to win at least one game against the Vikings. The Vikings countered their attacks with blocks and kills and resulted in long rallies which received cheers from the audience. Paly seniors Daniella Florant and Whitson, and freshman Melanie Wade prevented Los Altos from gaining the lead. The Vikings won the set, 25-21.
“We weathered the storm when Los Altos started making a push in the third game,” Winn said. “We didn’t get freaked out at all and kept our composure.”
The girls experienced a challenging two weeks prior to this match. They played difficult opponents from Los Gatos and Mountain View on Oct. 14 and 16, respectively. Paly lost both matches. The Gunn Titans was another challenging team to beat. The cross-town rivals faced each other on Oct. 22, and the Vikings won, 3-2. Monday’s 3–0 game against Los Altos seemed satisfying and well deserved.
“This was a great game for us the end our slump, and prepare ourselves for the games to come,” Coleman said.
Paly’s varsity volleyball team is tied with Los Gatos for first place in the De Anza league. The two teams will face one another at 6:45 p.m. on Senior Night, Nov. 4, at Paly.