Volleyball Seniors Play Unfamiliar Positions
November 3, 2017
Varsity volleyball’s 6 graduating seniors contributed to a 3-1 win against Miramonte on October 26. The senior girls were introduced in the annual senior ceremony before the final regular season home game.
Following tradition, the seniors Izzy Artiaga, Cameron Blakely, Sophie Hein, Paige Johnson, Terra Murray, and Vanessa Vaisnor played unfamiliar positions during the 1st set of the game as their underclassmen teammates cheered them on from the bench. Though the veterans played foreign roles on the court, the Cougars came out with a 27-25 win in the 1st set.
“I don’t know how we won exactly, but the score was 27-25, it was a close one,” Blakely said of the 1st set. She served as the team’s setter instead of her usual outside hitter position.
“I think we knew that because it was our senior night, we had to win,” said Murray. “We knew we had to play super well, because we were in really weird positions so we were trying our very best to do what we could with the positions and to make sure we got the win.”
“It was fun. We had the seniors play and then the freshmen play,” said head coach John Vuong. “Overall, it was a good night.”
“We work hard and we do our job correctly, and, just using senior night as an example, although those positions weren’t our specific positions, our volleyball IQ was high enough to know the basics of each positions. We were able to do our own specific job to help the team win and get the result we wanted,” added Blakely.
Athletes returned to their normal positions in the 2nd set and earned a 25-22 victory. However, the squad fell in the 3rd set, losing 22-25, forcing a 4th set.
Campolindo won the 4th set 25-16.
The game marked the end of another undefeated league season (10-0), and celebrated the team’s seniors as they prepare to graduate the volleyball program.
“It’s kind of weird seeing other players on your team when you walk in and seeing them getting super emotional, because you remember last year when the seniors left you and you thought, ‘What am I going to do without them?’ and ‘I’m going to miss them so much,'” said Murray.
“You see your other teammates crying and asking you what they are going to do without you. It’s just weird seeing that change,” added Murray.
Blakely her pregame recognition as “emotional and super cool.”
“When it’s actually your turn, it’s weird, there’s no way to describe it,” Blakely said.
The squad will now turn its focus on upcoming NCS matches. “We are excited, nervous, and anxious [for NCS],” said Vuong.
“[NCS is] a lot different than what we would do for normal games, like getting there a lot earlier, like all our rituals ands team dinners that we’re doing before,” said Murray.
For now, the Cougars remain hopeful to become NCS champions for a 2nd year in a row, and to savor the little time that the seniors have left in the season.
