Tess Whittet
Staff Writer
First game lost. Second game lost. Third game is a must win.
Mira Costa girls volleyball defeated Santa Margarita High School on Tuesday at Rancho Santa Margarita in a non-conference game, after having a major comeback during the third game of the match.
“We started slow but got into a great rhythm,” sophomore libero and defensive specialist, Malia Yuhl said. “ We connect and began to play really well and dominate the next few games.”
The Mustangs quickly fell behind in the first match against Santa Margarita with a score of 25-14. Costa came out timid and quiet in the first game and lacked energy senior outside hitter, Amanda Montag said.
“We came out with energy and confidence right off the bat and through us off our game,” Montag said.
Costa faltered yet again during the second game, which resulted in another loss, 25-11. According to senior, outside hitter Hannah Scott, the team shelled up and made a lot of unforced errors due to the nerves from the first game.
“We dropped the first two sets because our passing was a little bit off and we weren’t serving aggressively,” said.
Costa turned the game around in the third match with the help of outside hitters Scott and Montag, and libero Kelli Barry. Within the match, Scott had twenty kills, Montag had eighteen kills, and Barry had thirty-three digs, contributing to Costa’s chances of winning.
“We did well playing cohesively as a team and playing for each other even when we were down,” Montag said. “ We fought the whole time and everyone played their role so well.”
The Mustangs were able to win the third game, a score of 25-20. This win led to Costa’s success in the next game, 25-23. The final game could’ve been persuaded in either of the team’s favor and after a hard fight said Scott, Costa was able to take the victory, 15-8.
“Everyone played with fire and confidence like I’ve never seen before and our underclassmen played with the composure of seniors,” senior varsity volleyball player, Amanda Montag said.
According to Scott, the match was a big deal for the team. Costa and Santa Margarita had competed twice in the Hawaii tournament, resulting in a both teams receiving a win.
“We played Santa Margarita in Hawaii, losing the first time we played them in pool play,” Scott said. “We met them in the finals and beat them. Today was another rematch.”
The Mustangs, 14-5 overall, will compete against Peninsula at Peninsula on Thursday for their first Bay League match. Montag said, if the team plays like they did the last three games, good things will come their way.
“I think we should start our future matches with confidence and fire just like we had the last three games,” Montag said.
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