The girls’ varsity volleyball team easily won their first playoff game, 3-0, against the Victory Christian Vikings on Nov. 12.
However, senior Jenny Kerbs said that she felt a little nervous before the match.
“There’s a lot of pressure for us to make it all the way,” Kerbs said. “We all want to make it to the end. The fact that SCDS has never been first in volleyball just makes us want it more.”
Last season, the Cavs also won, 3-0, in their first round of playoffs against Victory Christian.
The Cavs’ next match will be their semi-final match on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at Mather Sports Center instead of at home because the gym will be going through its remodel. The Cavs will face Stone Ridge Christian, who beat Stockton Christian in their Nov. 12 playoff match, 3-0.
“I’m actually kind of nervous,” sophomore Katia Dahmani said. “We lost to them in five (sets) last year, and it’s really discouraging that we won’t be playing (at) home. If we play our game, we can most definitely win.”
Kerbs said that assistant coach Sarah Song said they should go into every match thinking that they are the underdog team, so they’ll be encouraged to fight harder.
The Vikings had first serve, but the Cavs immediately got possession back, and junior Alexa Mathisen went on a 6-point serving run in the first five minutes. The Vikings had very high passes that nearly touched the gym roof.
Despite having a broken or chipped finger bone on her dominant right hand, sophomore Kyra Petersen had an 8-point serving streak in the first set.
“All I had to do was tape (my fingers) super tight so I couldn’t really feel them,” Petersen said. “It hurt a lot more actually when people tried to high-five me.”
Petersen injured her finger at practice on Wednesday, Nov. 11, when she tried to catch a ball. Petersen said that she was not in much pain and that she will play in the next round of playoffs.
The Cavs quickly won the first set, 25-10.
In the second set, senior Sydney Michel had an 8-point serving streak. According to Dahmani, the Cavs adjusted to better block the Vikings’ middle hitter who hit hard angles to the right back position. The Cavs won the set, 25-11.
In the final set, the Cavs and Vikings tied for a while, and later the Cavs had a smaller lead than in the previous sets. Sophomore Yasmin Gupta had a 5-point serving run in the middle. Players who don’t get played as much were subbed in during the set and helped the Cavs win, 25-12.
“Our starters were pretty on tonight,” Dahmani said. “We were able to minimize (Victory Christian’s) chances of having serving runs on us.”
Because the bleachers had been removed as a part of the gym remodel, the audience sat in three rows of white chairs.
The Cavs huddle together before they start the third set.
The crowd was pumped for the beginning of the first set, but their enthusiasm mellowed out for the rest of the match and was only awakened during exciting blocks or hits.
“I don’t think they were that enthusiastic to be completely honest,” Dahmani said. “But props to (history teacher) Dr. (Bruce) Baird for cheering.”
In addition to Baird, math teacher Patricia Jacobsen, Spanish teacher Patricia Portillo, head of high school Brooke Wells, P.E. teachers Michelle Myers and Bill Stainbrook, headmaster Stephen Repsher, English teacher Patricia Fels and history teacher Dan Neukom attended the match.
Junior Avi Bhullar did not attend because she was at a drama rehearsal.
—By Sonja Hansen
