By Riley Segal
Staff Writer
Photos by Tucker Judkins
Online Managing Editor
The girls’ volleyball team defeated Alhambra on the road in three sets with scores of 25-16, 25-12, and 25-13 on Friday, September 2. After a rough two first games, the Tigers were able to settle in and find their footing to earn South Pas’ first win of the season, bringing its record to 1-2.
Alhambra quickly earned two points at the beginning of the first set before South Pas struck back with their own two points. The Moors and the Tigers battled back and forth for the lead before senior Maddy Hirano secured it for the Tigers with an impressive serving streak. Senior Megan Wong showcased strong hits and senior Molly Feldmeth had three consecutive kills, allowing South Pas to maintain its lead. The last few points Alhambra was able to score were mostly of off Tiger errors, but South Pas still won the set with a large gap at a score of 25-16.
The second set opened with a Moor ball into the net, and the Tigers soon jumped to a 5-0 lead aided by kills from Feldmeth and junior Maddy Saito, as well as a tip from sophomore Kimi Brown. Soon after, Brown went on to have an eight point serving streak, her aces mixed among kills and blocks from several Tigers. South Pas maintained its hefty lead for the entire set, only allowing Alhambra to score twelve points. Though the Moors attempted to battle back, they were no match for South Pas’ constant offensive attempts.
The Tigers earned the first point of the third set off of another ball from Alhambra that went out of play. Saito, senior Amelia De Young and sophomore Harper Fox earned several kills to distance the Tigers, and Fox had a block as well. South Pas dominated both offensively and defensively, especially with Hirano providing a solid performance on the backline. Brown also had another serving streak, this time for seven points. The Moors were often unable to handle several of the powerful kills hit at their defense, most notably kills from Feldmeth. Alhambra managed to score one more point before Feldmeth finished the set with a hit that ricocheted off the Moor blocker and out of bounds for the Tigers to take the third set 25-13.
“It was really nice to win,” Feldmeth said. “We hit really well this game, and though there are some improvements that could be made, like picking up tips, we are improving every game. I think we were playing a bit more confidently because we weren’t as scared of these opponents.”
The Tigers next compete in another away game, this time against Polytechnic School on Thursday, September 8, where South Pas looks to improve its record to 2-2.
