Varsity Girlsʼ Volleyball Qualifies for CIF After Defeating Their Long-Time Rivals

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KEVIN KONG
Staff Writer

Picture this: Moors from 12th century Spain and Aztecs from 16th century Mexico fighting an all-out battle. Realistically, this could not have happened, but on Oct. 31, the varsity girlsʼ volleyball team won an intense game against the Mark Keppel Aztecs with a 3-0 score.
The game kicked off with a seven point lead for the players while libero Taylor Warren saved the ball despite diffi cult strikes and serves that came rapidly and continuously. When the first set ended, Alhambra came out on top.
The Moors also took the second set, causing Keppel to focus on their defense, barely keeping the ball in play. Meanwhile, the Moors centers matched their defensive tactics as they passed the ball to outside hitters to play off of the Aztecʼs distracted offensive strategies. After being only one point away from victory, middle hitter Khanhlinh Su ended the game with a powerful ace.
“I think we have more team chemistry now and it really means a lot to us that we won today because we worked so hard together,” junior passer Hildy Gonzales said.
The team has been powerful and dominant all throughout the season, with a 13-9 overall record and a 6-4 Almont League record, placing third in league.
Head Coach Charles Tran has been preparing the team for California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) qualifi er matches intensely since the end of last year. Tran and the girls both believe that since their summer practices, they became smarter and tougher.
“Weʼre better fundamentally and game wise, we can predict whatʼs coming from the other team.” Co-Captain Magan Chiang said.
Although this was a major victory for Alhambraʼs mentality, it meant more to the players than just another win. This game granted entry to CIF qualifiers, something that has not been accomplished since 2006. Unfortunately, they were defeated in the first round.
“I tell the girls all the time that the game is 90% mental and 10% physical. It has been a battle but I believe that we are stronger [together as a team],” Tran said.