Story by Ruby Foudy
Staff Writer
Photos by Zoe Chen
Staff Photographer
The South Pasadena Tigers held their Senior Night game on Tuesday, Oct. 15, honoring the team’s seniors pre-game: Jolene Wu, Ava Conti, Kayla Boozer, Maeve Kinney, Olivia Slattery, Kiana Park, and Grace Ipson. They had a strong first set but eventually fell to La Cañada 3-1.
A kill from Slattery earned the Tigers the first point of the match. The Spartans soon gained a lead after a combination of blocks and quick set attacks, but a turnaround due to sophomore opposite hitter Evan Taylor’s series of kills allowed South Pasadena to slowly work their score up until the teams tied 18-18. The Tigers continued slowly creeping up with stronger rallies, allowing for more strategic attacks, until they reached 24-21. Although La Cañada’s offense was stronger than the Tigers’, South Pasadena’s spirit secured them a win for the first set with a score of 25-21.


At the start of the second set, La Cañada scored a succession of five points from aces until they hit the ball out of bounds, which gave a point to South Pasadena. Junior outside hitter Senya Dorny swooped in with a kill, bringing the score up to 6-2 with the Spartans leading. While the Tigers’ offense was strong, fewer digs were made than usual, and Dorny and Taylor could only compensate for so much. South Pasadena seemed discouraged by the Spartans’ strong start, and La Cañada maintained their lead, winning the second set 25-14.


Slattery won the first point of the third set for the Tigers with a block. Complemented by multiple kills from Taylor, the Tigers got off on the right foot, but their streak did not last long. The Spartans quickly gained several points, surpassing South Pasadena until they had an 8-point lead, 14-6. Players such as Dorny and Taylor were able to gain 11 more points, but La Cañada had familiarized themselves with the Tigers’ playing style. Knowing the Tiger defense was weak, the Spartans focused heavily on offense, resulting in another set win for La Cañada 25-17.
The fourth and final set was unlike the previous two as the Tigers maintained a close lead with the Spartans throughout the majority of the set. Although South Pasadena was off to a slow start, they soon caught up to the Spartans at 12-12. From then on, the Spartans and Tigers fought hard over the lead, one team surpassing the other, only to soon be surpassed themselves. As the set point got closer and closer, the Tigers became more aggressive. Junior middle blocker Isabelle Mullican gained several points for the Tigers from a series of kills, which tied the score at 24-24. Although they came close to winning the set, the game point went to the Spartans, who won the match 3-1.
As the season has come to a wrap, South Pasadena’s record is now 10-16 overall and 7-3 in the Rio Hondo League. The Tigers are ranked third in the league, behind La Cañada and San Marino, and ranked 331 in California.
