The Oak Park Girls’ varsity volleyball played their first game of CIF playoffs against
Oxnard Oct. 18. The team, who have made it to the playoffs for the last four years, won by the fourth set.
In preparation for the game, senior and outside hitter Robin Valtchev said that the team will generate game strategies based on the previous performance of other teams

“Playing in a match is always intense. There is a lot of emotion involved. Every single
point counts and as a team we all need to work together,” Valtchev said. “I get super pumped up when I see a big crowd in the bleachers.”.

In the first set, the girls’ said they played slightly slower and more defensively. However towards the end of the set, Oak Park began scoring more frequently. However, Oxnard won the set by a score of 25 to 23.

According to head coach Kendall Bilbruck, the team typically “pick[s] it up by the start of the second set.” After a round of volleys during the second set, Oxnard and Oak Park were tied at 24 to 24. Senior and hitter Taylor Hunter spiked the ball, giving the Eagles a one-point advantage. Then, with another spike by Hunter, the Eagles won the second set.

The third set consisted of persistent back-and-forth point exchanging between the two teams. When the scores broke into the twenties for both teams, the Eagles began to pull ahead, winning with a score of 25 to 21.

Oak Park, maintaining a lead through the whole set, won the final set with a score of 25 to 17.

“Every single point counts and as a team we all need to work together,” Valtchev said.