Story by Ruby Foudy
Staff Writer
Photos by Zoe Chen
Staff Photographer
The Tigers played the Crescenta Valley Falcons in a home game on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The Tigers struggled to keep their energy up, which led to a loss in the third set.
The first set began with a kill from sophomore opposite hitter Evan Taylor, which secured South Pasadena the first point of the match. Taylor was one of the Tigers’ strongest players this match, but she was injured early on, which benched her for the rest of the game.
The score remained even for most of the set; sophomore libero Ella Garner was one of the few Tiger players able to keep up Falcon spikes with her own well-executed digs. Still, the Falcons slowly creped up until they won the first set 22-25.
The first point of the second set went to Crescenta, which dampened the Tigers’ spirits. Most of South Pasadena’s points were gained through spikes from junior middle blocker Isabelle Mullican. Sensing South Pasadena’s energy dip, the Falcons overpowered the Tigers with their strong line of blockers, and the Tigers struggled to meet the Falcons’ hits with digs. This continued through the set until the score was 16-25. Crescenta Valley took the set yet again.
The Tigers had an energy boost during the third set, starting strong with an ace from senior defensive specialist Jolene Wu. Junior opposite hitter Senya Dorny executed several kills, gaining the Tigers more points. Although the Tigers played well, the set eventually went to the Falcons 19-25, winning them the overall match 0-3.
“We played well, I just think we need to improve on our communication,” Wu said after the game.
The Tigers’ next game will be at 6 p.m. on Sept. 10, an away game against Culver City.
