Despite a 0-3 loss against Homestead High School, Lady Mats challenge themselves to focus on team unity for future games.

The girls, clad in their purple and white tanks, began with a lot of energy, ready to face their green-striped challengers. It was a close match, and according to senior co-captain Alice Liu, Matadors learned to focus on team unity and communication from the 0-3 loss against Homestead High School on Oct. 3 at MVHS. The Lady Mats are currently standing 0-4 in the De Anza League.

Despite some position changes, MVHS started off strong, with their gameplay of long rallies and difficult saves earning them a strong lead. Strong teamwork between sophomore Michelle Wang, sophomore Sydney Howard and co-captain senior Beverly Yu led the girls through the first set. However, six points into the first set, HHS managed to overtake the Lady Mats with their strong serves.

“Our main goal was to be more consistent,” Yu said. “In the past few games, we saw this [inconsistency], so this game, we really tried to focus on the basics.”

The first two sets, with strong teamwork and strategic changes, set the defensive basis for the third set. Once the third set began with a strong lead for HHS, MVHS worked together to catch up to the Mustang’s performance. With spectacular performances by Howard and freshman Kelly Bishop at serving and blocking respectively, the Lady Mats fought back hard to tie the game at 22-22. In the end, the third set concluded 23-25, but according to coach Colin Anderson, MVHS learned new strategies for future games.

“When [our players] made a nice hit, it got the energy of the team up,” Howard said. “We didn’t have good communication, which lost a lot of free points,[but] we all just went in with a more positive attitude. As a team we need to be more positive, cheer each other on more.”

Learning from their mistakes, they are looking forward to playing the next game with unity and communication by improving in technical skills such as serving and passing.

“[Even though] it was a tough game, we played some good defense [and made] an incredible comeback in [the third set],” Anderson said. “We improved a lot [and] this is one of the better games we played all season.”

MVHS’ next home game will be against Los Gatos High School on Oct. 22 at 6:45 p.m.