The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

The student news site of Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California

The Talon

Strong team chemistry helps volleyball excel

The girls volleyball team is starting the season off with a combination of a strong senior lineup and young players with enthusiastic aspirations. With the addition of new freshmen and sophomores, the team is well rounded and ready to shoot for a league title.
“Overall we have good leadership and explosive players that make up our team,” girls volleyball coach Peter Kim said. “The only weakness is that we are a young group. All of us work on playing well together and doing that in practice will translate to our matches.”
Although young, what the Eagles lack in age they make up in energy.
“We have good team chemistry and a lot of energy, which is a huge aspect of all volleyball matches,” Meghan said. “We are also all very competitive, which means we are fiercely competing with our opponents and one another in practice.”
This year, the team hopes to win a league title in the De Anza Division of SCVAL and make it past the second round of CCS. The team’s high level of skill is evident in practices, as much of their performance this season will depend on the attitude of the team.
“Our team gives off a very passionate vibe,” Katie said. “We love the sport and it shows in our performance.”
Despite their optimism and positive attitude, players aren’t underestimating any team this season, as their league contains other high-performing teams such as Homestead, Palo Alto and Los Gatos. However, the girls are working through the “kinks” of the preseason by practicing hard together and building team communication.
In the first games of the season, notably against Harker and Westmont, the Eagles have dominated the opposing team. Prior knowledge of key players on the opposition often allows the Eagles to strategize before a game. Coupled with a strong defense at the net and the energy and skill of the new sophomore players, the Eagles have been able to dominate their opponents. The Eagles say that they hope to go far in league and CCS with this combination of strategy, seasoned players and fresh skill.
“If we continue to play like we have in practice lately, and we continue to improve even more, I don’t think there is much standing in our way to a league title,” Meghan said.
Recently, the Eagles have put emphasis on improving both team dynamics and the team’s personality by continuing their tradition of “game day lunches” and bonding off the court. Beyond working together, the players are making an effort to ensure that each girl is involved in every game.
“We are very focused on making sure that we play very well as a whole team this year, on and off the bench, which means every player is always actively involved in the game regardless of whether or not they are actually on the court,” Meghan said.
The skill the team currently has is substantially reinforced by the team’s effort to play cohesively and bond as a group of both teammates and friends.
“The dynamic of the team this year is definitely one of the funniest I have ever been a part of,” Meghan said. “We have quite a few comedians on the team, which makes our volleyball atmosphere much more enjoyable.  Everybody brings a great energy, which if we continue to harness, will really help us…beat a lot of other talented teams.”

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