The girls JV volleyball team played their first game on Aug. 17 against St. Monica. While they lost, the team showed growth from their first to second set.

JV finished their first set with a loss of 25-11. Both Coach Paulina and the players agree nerves played a large role in this score. 

“The first game definitely everybody was a little nervous, so that had a lot more to do with the gameplay rather than people’s skills,” Paulina said. “Second game they got a little less nervous so it was a lot more smooth.”

And that it was. The team made a comeback in the second set, ranking more points than the first. They finished the second set with a loss of 25-22.

“When they were close at the end I was just hoping that they would kind of figure it out themselves,” Paulina said. “I didn’t want to change anything around and stop anybody’s flow because there was a bit of a flow going on as far as I could tell. I was just hoping they could keep their mind in play, keep the ball in play to be able to catch back up.”

After the game, players such as junior Piper Johnson reflected on their performances. 

“You’re not just thinking about the last set you had,” Johnson said. “You’re thinking about the whole game overall.”

The team is using their setbacks from the first game to better prepare for the next one.

“Just keep on practicing, that’s really all you can do,” junior Leila Abrishami, who plays middle blocker, said. “Show up to practice, work for those two hours, and then be ready for the next game.”

The next game is an away game against Venice Tournament coming Aug. 27.