The Girls Varsity Volleyball team went head to head with Loma Linda Academy for their second CIF match on November 3, losing the game 0-3. Although the Aztecs did not win, the two game series proved to be a major accomplishment in their league, having been 15 years since the team qualified for the CIF league.
The game began with a rally of hits between the two teams, with both sides neck in neck until the opposing team scored multiple points at once, ending the set 20-25. As the second set started, Loma Linda opened with a strong offense, spiking a series of points while also serving multiple aces. Despite the defensive plays seen from the Aztecs, the second set ended as a lost 14-25.
Senior Kathleen Lok expressed how “CIF definitely exposed [the team] to a higher level of gameplay and gave [the team] a chance to play against teams outside of [the Almont League].” Lok explained how “[an] obvious obstacle was the height difference… most of the girls on that team were a head taller than all of us… most of their hits would go over the block”.
As the third and final set began, Loma Linda scored more than 4 points before Keppel’s volleyball team could regain their positioning and continue defending. The game was over as the last point was scored by the opposing team, finalizing the third set with the scores 14-25. Although the team will not be advancing in the CIF league, the team, specifically the seniors are satisfied with the season and their overall performances.
“Whenever someone was down or frustrated, our teammates would always be there to pick us up. Our offense was overall very consistent and defense really picked it up at the end,” said Lok. “It really meant alot to end my last year on volleyball on such a good note.”
