By Zane Franklin
Staff Writer
In the Mira Costa girls volleyball game on Nov. 2, the team traveled to Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and swept the Panthers in what turned out to be a competitive Bay League game.
Even though it was a sweep, the game was in no way a blowout. The Mustangs defeated the Peninsula Panthers in three close games, 25-20, 26-24, and 25-18.
“I thought that it was a really good game and a good win for us. This was a good win for us and we are much more prepared for our game against Redondo. I’m really proud of how I played in the game,” senior Emma White said.
The Mustangs’ record is now 20-8 for the regular season and 7-0 in the Bay League. A game also took place on Nov. 4 at Redondo but results were unavailable at the time of publication. Costa will soon be moving on to the CIF playoffs this month.
“We are really looking forward to CIF. At this point in time, it’s anyone’s game,” Zimmerman said.
As the first game kicked off, the Mustangs took control almost instantly. Senior outside hitter White and sophomore setter Corie Bain shook the court with several hits. Due to sloppy serve receptions by Peninsula and Costa’s explosive offense, the Mustangs pushed past the Panthers and finished the game with a score of 25-20.
“I’m really impressed by Corie’s improvement this year. Varsity can be tough for a sophomore,” Zimmerman said.
The second match started off close and Costa struggled returning the ball. Junior middle blocker Mandy Smith, White and Bain helped the Mustangs hold off the Panthers and keep the score at 20-20.
The Mustangs started to fall behind and found themselves in a two-point deficit at 22-20. Senior opposite and outside hitter Jace Pardon saved the day by scoring three crucial points to tie the game at 23-23. A hit by Bain put Costa one point away from the win, and White wrapped it up with a kill. The score settled at 26-24.
The third game began slow but Costa managed to take an early lead. Like the preceding games, it quickly turned into a toss-up. With the help of Pardon, White, and junior Katie Warshaw, Costa retook the game. White again finished the game with a kill. The match ended at 25-18.
White led the Mustangs with 20 kills, 11 digs and one block. Bain accumulated 31 assists, five digs, three blocks and three aces while Pardon had 10 kills, two digs and two aces.
“Our seniors have been outstanding this year. Even our bench has improved. Everybody played well,” Zimmerman said.
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