Girls’ volleyball: Tigers overpower Spartans in heated four-set matchup

By Marion Wood

Staff Writer

South Pasadena High School girls’ volleyball defeated La Cañada High School 3-1 this Thursday. The match was their biggest competition for the Rio Hondo League title. The Tigers won in four hard-fought sets, bringing their league record up to 3-0.

Starting strong, the Tigers won the first set 25-17, aided by their exceptional offense and consistent passing.

The momentum carried into the second set with a 6-3 Tiger lead. La Cañada lost points on service errors, missing four serves in the beginning nine-point stretch. Gradually, however, the Spartans improved, and gained points through blocking and outside hitting. This tied the score up, until a Tiger winning streak brought the set to 21-18. At this point, the Spartans had a strong final push, eventually defeating the Tigers 25-23.

“We played well overall, except in the middle of the match,” sophomore Molly Feldmeth said. “We were overconfident and I think we need to improve on that.”

Carrying the energy into the third set, the Spartans found themselves ahead, 15-8. The Tigers then rallied around defensive specialist Katie Sokolow, whose service streak brought the set to 15-15. The tie continued until the end of the set, when a dominating block by Shanovi Bass and Feldmeth ended it at 25-22.

The fourth set was similar to the first, with a strong South Pas lead throughout. This was evident in Tiger serves, especially by Sokolow and sophomore Ellie Kutzer. This high level of play brought the set to a quick 25-14 Tiger win.

“This game definitely boosts our confidence in league, and leads us in the right direction,” Kutzer added.

The Rio Hondo title is within reach for the Tigers, judging by the success of today’s match. Their next league match is on the road October 14th against Blair High School at 3:30 P.M.