Girls’ volleyball went up against Harvard-Westlake on Sept. 6 in a home game. The match started out close, but the Tigers pulled ahead in the later sets to win 3-1.
“I think the team played really well,” head coach Ivy Chew said. “From what we saw today, we saw what we’re capable of.”
The first set began with both teams vying for the early lead. Neither team managed to get ahead by much until a kill from sophomore middle blocker Senya Dorny brought the score up to 10-7. The score was soon tied again after blocks by the Wolverines gained them a few points and the teams stayed neck and neck with ties at 10-10, 16-16, and 21-21. Both teams neared 25, but a powerful kill from senior outside hitter Jenna Garner, assisted by senior setter Kendall Taylor, brought the score up to 25-22, awarding the set to the Tigers.
The second set started with South Pasadena only a couple points behind Harvard-Westlake. However, the Tigers, unable to get Wolverine blocks and serves up, fell behind 9-16. From there, the Wolverines secured their lead, consistently gaining points. Kills from Garner and senior opposite hitter Ingrid Zahn earned the Tigers a few points, but with South Pas down 14-24, Harvard-Westlake’s point advantage allowed them to win the set 16-25.
An out-of-bounds hit from the Wolverines gave the Tigers the first point of the third set. However, the two teams were soon tied at 4-4, then at 13-13. An excellent save by Garner brought the score up to 17-15. With a boost of confidence, the Tigers consecutively scored the next points. At 21-15, South Pas players reentered the court after the Wolverines called a time out. Kills from Garner and senior outside hitter Helena Foord gained South Pas the next four points, winning the set 25-17.
“They started off a little bit slower, but gradually they caught onto what they needed to work on,” Chew said. “From there, they learned from every point that they had.”
The Tigers began the fourth set strong. K. Taylor’s serves gained South Pas the first four points, and from there, South Pas kept a steady five-point lead over Harvard-Westlake. After a kill from Garner, the score rose to 16-6. This secured the Tigers an impressive 10-point lead over the Wolverines, which they maintained throughout the remainder of the set. South Pas continued to score the next points, and after a kill from Garner, assisted by freshman setter Evan Taylor, the Tigers won the set 25-16 and the match 3-1.
“I think we worked really hard in practice, and the way we played just really reflected that,” Garner said.
The Tigers will face the Temple City Rams in an away game on Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m.
