This week, the Oak Park High School Girls’ Volleyball team has seen wins and losses. On Aug. 29, all three teams swept Foothill Tech, with varsity winning 3-1, and JV and Frosh winning 2-0.
The team won the first two sets and after losing the third, won the fourth set to win the game.
For veterans of the team, each game of the new season gives them opportunities to get used to new members.
“I think we saw a lot of potential! It was a fun and lax game. It is still early in the season and we have some things to work on but I’m really happy with how we played! I enjoy playing with these girls and can’t wait for our next W,” varsity senior Savannah Mitchell said.
On Aug. 30, the team met their first hurdle, each team losing all three sets against Notre Dame.
When it comes to any sport, a team’s mentality is just as important as their skill. Members were quick to recognize what went wrong, and ready to improve upon those areas for the next game.
“Our team went in with the mindset of ‘Oh they’re a good team, we won’t win,’ so we didn’t push ourselves near the last points of the game. That and we had quite a few errors that would always set us back a few points. But we played really well honestly, we just need the motivation to win,” varsity senior Tristan Gaudioso said.
Varsity senior Ela Lagatutta also commented on the energy and its impact on the team’s performance.
“During the first game, there was more energy and it was fun. The second game had barely any energy. There wasn’t a lot of talking on the court or cheering, which showed in the game,” Lagatutta said.
Though the team expressed that it was a tough loss, they’re staying optimistic about the future.
“Although we lost, I think we have a lot of potential to improve. I’m really excited and hopeful for the rest of the season” varsity senior Priscilla Vargas said.
Their next game is an away game on Sept. 1 against Thousand Oaks High. With the right energy, Mitchell thinks the girls can come out on top again.
“If we go into tomorrow’s game hype and trusting each other, I think we have a good shot at winning,” Mitchell said.
