By Marion Wood
Staff Writer
In five fervent games, the South Pasadena High School girls’ varsity volleyball team outlasted the Monrovia Wildcats, bringing their league record to 2-0.
Still flying from a win over San Marino the week before, the Tigers came into the match with lots of momentum. In the first game, they dominated on both sides of the ball, beating the Wildcats 25-12. South Pas gained many of their points on offense, aided especially by sophomore Kate Kutzer and senior Sophia Hathaway.
However, the second game was radically different from the first, ending with a close Tiger loss of 23-25. Monrovia had gained confidence and consistency on offense, especially from outside hitter Leilia To’omalatai.
“For some reason [To’omalatai] was not that good in the first game, so we didn’t have a problem,” senior Irene Siao said. “But then out of nowhere, she was getting kill after kill in the last four games.”
This streak continued into the third game, which the Tigers dropped in extra points, 25-27. The Wildcat home court advantage was obvious, as the boisterous Monrovia fans boosted the team’s morale.
In the last two games, the Tigers overcame the handicaps and definitively defeated the Wildcats with scores of 25-19 and 15-12, respectively.
“They weren’t an easy team to beat and we had to fight a lot,” senior Rowan Leddy said. “But we managed to pull through and win.”
The Tigers look to continue their undefeated season in their next home match against La Canada on October 7th at 3:30 pm. The game is slated to be the premier matchup of the season, as La Canada has shown they are ready to take on any opposition.