The Islander Girls Volleyball team went 1-1 in their final home games of the season. On Thursday, they lost a thriller in 5 sets to league leader Scripps Ranch, 2-3. On Friday, the Lady Islanders won on senior night in a non-league match versus Mira Mesa, 3-1. With the win, the team earned a spot in the playoffs as the 11 seed. They play Tuesday, October 24 at 7 pm at number 6 seed Mission Vista High in Oceanside.
Versus Scripps Ranch
The Islanders came close to avenging a previous league loss to Scripps Ranch. In the first contest, the Islanders were unable to win a set, losing 0-3. On Thursday, the underdogs put pressure on Scripps Ranch, losing again, but this time in five sets, 25-18, 15-25, 25-19, 15-25, 10-15.
Although the team lost, Coach Adeile Ahmu shared her pride in how the team played. She explained that the team “played relaxed. … they didn’t feel any pressure. With this being the end of the season, they knew that a win would be great and if we lost it would still be a good finish for them.”
Coach Ahmu added that all of the seniors played well. She recounted, “They put in some real quality touches. They earned us some points. Our seniors did a great job. I am going to miss them.”
On the match, junior Sophie Petersen shared, “I think it went really well. We pushed really hard even though we lost.” Petersen added, “We were cheering a lot more [than during the first match against Scripps Ranch] which brought the energy up. That’s why I think we did a lot better. We fed off of each other. The team had a lot of really great kills, especially Emily Wygal.”
Teamwork
The match was characterized by point play from the entire team. Teamwork contributed to the team’s success. The match featured digs from Avalon Haro, aces from setter Emily Page, and kills by the rest of the team. Wygal and Ruby Deckman led the way, along with Lindsey Balsley, Elle Bradbury, Riley Coker, Emily Fernandez, Sydney Jones, Petersen, Sadie Proctor, Lydia Schutt, Ariana van Handel, and Raine Wilson.
Leading the season with kills per set, Proctor sustained an injury early in the week yet managed to go into the game for the first two sets before needing to sit out. Sophomore van Handel reflected on the team’s ability to maintain its composure without Proctor, “We still fought without Sadie on the floor, which is super. She is a big asset to our team.” Speaking to the players’ team-first mentality, she recognized that although Proctor was not on the floor, “she was cheering on the sideline for us.”
In conversations with players over the past few weeks, a consistent theme has emerged. The players work together and support each other, on and off the court. Petersen’s comment reflects that of many of her teammates, “I am sad the season is ending. I love all of the girls on the team.”
Versus Mira Mesa
Playing their last home game before tournament play, Coronado defeated Mira Mesa in 4 sets, 25-22, 27-25, 15-25, 25-8. The team lost its focus for a set before rebounding back to convincingly win the fourth set.
