The Palo Alto girls’ volleyball players are champions of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League following a 3-2 victory against rival Los Gatos High School on Thursday, Oct. 29.
In the first game, both teams had a rough start, consistently missing serves and hits. As the Vikings got into the game, they mounted a strong comeback by perfecting their serves and minimizing hitting errors. Both teams took turns sharing the lead; however, the Wildcats overtook the Vikings and won, 25-21.
The Vikings scored the first couple of points at the beginning of the second game. As Los Gatos struggled to keep up, the Vikings held their lead. However, the Wildcats came back with a vengeance, making strong kills. Again, the two teams were neck and neck. The Vikings blocked shots and countered with kills of their own, but ended up losing a close game, 25-23.
“In the first two games we were a little tentative on hitting,” sophomore middle blocker Melanie Wade said. “We made a lot of errors.”
The Vikings had a solid start to the third game. Determined to defend their home court, the Vikings played with a new intensity, stepping up their game. They won, 25-23.
“We didn’t start off so strong,” sophomore outside hitter Maddie Kuppe said. “But we pulled it together as a team.”
As the fourth game began, the Vikings were eager to secure another win. With high energy, Palo Alto dominated the court. The Vikings started the game by winning the first couple points, and continued to lead by countering with strong kills and blocks, one after another. The Wildcats had struggles within their group and failed to keep up with the Vikings. Paly ultimately crushed Los Gatos, 25-11.
“They [the Vikings] were very accurate,” Paly’s head coach Dave Winn said. “Their passing was tight and they made a lot less hitting errors. They just came out more aggressive.”
With the match tied at 2-2, both teams were desperate for a victory. With a tiebreak of only 15 points, both teams were forced to minimize any hitting or serving errors. Los Gatos started the fifth game off by scoring the first couple of points. Both teams battled for the lead with endless rallies. The Vikings then scored the final point, winning the League Championship, 15-13.
“Words cannot describe how amazing that was,” junior libero Megan Coleman said. “When it came down to pressured situations, our team was able to pull through.”
Due to spirit week, an unusual number of people were in the audience, cheering on the Vikings. As the Vikings scored the final winning point, both parents and students ran from the bleachers to surround the team, celebrating the victory.
Winn said he is proud of the Vikings and hopes they will continue to keep up the good work.
“I have an overwhelming admiration for my team,” Winn said. “It was a miraculous comeback.”
The Vikings will participate in the Spikefest2 tournament this Saturday at Milpitas High School. The next home game will be against Saratoga High School at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Paly’s Big Gym.