Varsity Girls Volleyball won 3-1 against Burlingame High School in the CCS semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 6. MVHS opened the match with a dominant 25-15 win in the first set, and while the second set was tightly contested, MVHS came out on top 25-22. BHS then regained momentum, taking the third set 25-18, but MVHS closed out the game with a 27-25 victory in the fourth set.
A crucial turning point came late in the third set, when BHS gained momentum and won several long rallies. While MVHS took an early lead in the fourth set, BHS went on long scoring streaks, evening out the score before the Matadors regained control. Senior and middle hitter Nicole Jeleva says that the team’s ability to slow the game down contributed to its pivotal win in the last set.
“We thought it was going to be a really easy set, but then they caught up towards the end,” Jeleva said. “I was like, ‘How did we let this happen?’ But dwelling on your mistakes is not going to help at all. We tried to slow the game down by huddling together and encouraging each other to move forward and not think about what happened. Taking a deep breath and taking those longer huddles can flip the momentum.”
Senior and setter Chloe Chen says that while the end of the game was tense, the team did well overall and finished strong due to its consistent cohesion. Chen hopes that the team can sustain its energy level and team chemistry in the championship round, as she believes it will elevate their play.
“I felt really nervous because the score was so close and I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially since the other team adapted to our offense so it was hard to end rallies,” Chen said. “It’s good to know that our team can perform well when our energy is up and we’re all supporting one another, especially going into the finals. We know the opponents we’re playing will be really tough, so we have to beat them with energy and not just skill.”
Both Jeleva and Chen agree that maintaining composure under pressure will be especially important going into the championship game against Aragon High School, on Saturday, 6 p.m. at Palo Alto High School. Jeleva adds that the crowd’s support kept every player on the court motivated throughout the game.
“We pulled up a couple players from JV and added people on the bench to help cheer on the players,” Jeleva said. “We also have Chloe’s dad. He’s our king — always leads the cheers in the stands, and our morale is really high with his support. On the bench, we try to celebrate every single point. Those little things really add up, and when we’re able to keep our energy up, we play well.”
