Varsity Girls Basketball defeated Los Altos High School 60-38 at MVHS on Tuesday, Feb. 4. MVHS started out strong, building a sizable 34-19 lead by halftime. The Matadors carried their momentum through the rest of the game, leading to a dominant 24-point victory as LAHS was unable to come back.
The game took place following MVHS’ eighth annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day ceremony. Before the game, students and staff celebrated female coaches and athletes from MVHS sports teams. Spectators and players alike received free T-shirts as part of the celebration, and performances from the Cheer team increased the energy throughout the game. Senior Miya Kosakura also invited the younger girls she coaches to attend the event.
“It means a lot to see Miya Kosakura carrying on the tradition to young women and honoring women in sports,” Head Coach Sara Borelli said. “The fact that they brought in all the female coaches was wonderful because most of the time it was myself and one other coach. When you see female coaches on staff and that they’re coaching boys’ teams that’s very special.”
Borelli says the team played well and kept the ball moving throughout the game despite a few early turnovers. Sophomore and guard Rachel Bergendahl agrees, stating that the team maintained an active offense and pushed the ball down the court. She attributes the team’s success to its high energy, which was further improved by strong plays throughout the game.
“Because it was raining, our warm-ups were inside, so we were more connected going into the game than normal,” Bergendahl said. “Our energy was higher in general. Because basketball is a game of runs, the game is better for us when we have the momentum.”
Bergendahl says her biggest takeaway from the game is the importance of teamwork and confidence. Similarly, Borelli believes that teamwork kept the team strong the entire night.
“The highlight was everyone playing and different people scoring that don’t usually score, while having other people that play really strong defense,” Borelli said. “We played a great game. Last time we played LAHS we had some injuries. Now they’re back, and we played much stronger this time. I think we played like a team.”
