After losing to Faith Christian 1-3 the day before, the varsity volleyball team narrowly beat Buckingham Charter, 3-2, in the last regular season home game to clinch its spot in the playoffs, Nov. 4.
Junior Erin Reddy, captain and setter, was out due to an injury she suffered in the previous game.
“I crashed into a wall, hurt myself, and couldn’t set normally,” she said.
The Cavs, however, pulled through without Reddy.
“I’m just so glad that we won and are going to playoffs,” sophomore Emma Belliveau said. “I never thought that a team like ours, so young, would be able to overcome that and outshine everyone’s expectations.
“Next game I just want us all the keep the same energy and remember how hard we all fight and how good it feels to win.”
The girls fought through long rallies and intense gameplay to take the first set, 25-19.
However, they met resistance from the Buckingham Knights in the second and third sets.
The Cavs took the lead early on in the second set, but the Knights soon caught up. After trading points, the Knight came away with the set, 21-25.
A slow start in the third set got the Cavs in trouble. Despite making a small comeback, the team was overpowered by the Knights.
With the playoff ticket on the line, the Cavs fought hard in the fourth set. Keeping the fans on the edge of their seats, the score tied at 25 after another trading of points. Country Day had to “push two” in order to win the set—and they did, taking the set 27-25 with the crowd roaring and cheering.
The fifth set, a tie-breaker game to 15, only increased the intensity of the game. For half the set, no server gained more than two points until sophomore Jenny Kerbs held onto her serve. The Cavs maintained their small lead and ultimately took the set 15-11.
The Cavs also beat Buckingham 3-2 the last time they met on Oct. 11.
According to sophomore Aidan Galati and Belliveau, the practices leading up to the past two games were very “buckled down” and focused on passing, which contributed to the victory.
This game not only took the Cavs to playoffs but also brought them closer together as a team.
“All I was thinking was ‘I love this team, and I’m so happy I’m here right now,”’ Galati said. “We’ve all become a family.”
At the end of the game, the team honored its only senior, Sydney Jackson, with a toast in which all the members of the varsity team said a nice comment and gave her a hug. Jackson’s parents also received a red rose.
The time, date and place of the first playoff game is yet to be determined.
(Video by Avi Bhullar)
Cross-Country
The cross-country team participated in the S.M.A.L. League Championships on Oct. 29.
Sophomore Adam Ketchum couldn’t run because of a sprained ankle. He was injured on Oct. 25 in the soccer game against Lutheran.
“I was disappointed because I had been working on getting better times all season, but I wasn’t able to run when it really mattered,” Ketchum said.
Although the meet was held on Oct. 29, official times have not yet been posted.
However, freshman John Hansen believed that he did pretty well in his 5,000-meter race.
“The team as a whole also did very well considering that we were short on runners (including Ketchum and sophomore Elinor Hilton),” Hansen said.
The team’s next meet will be on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Frogtown in Angels Camp.
