Girls beach volleyball cruises past Redondo Union, 2-1

Cara Martinez

Staff Writer

Despite battling in windy conditions, the Mustangs defeated Redondo Union handily, extending their long undefeated streak.

The team won, 2-1, Tuesday at the beach on 3rd Street in Manhattan Beach. The winning first-seeded and second-seeded teams were composed of senior Sunny Villapando and junior Piper Monk-Heidrich and senior Rio Frohoff and junior Lea Ungar. Freshmen Olivia Bakos and Maya Harvey made up the third-seeded team.

“We served really well and stayed consistent,” Monk-Heidrich said. “I think the game went our way, and we performed great in the tough weather conditions.”

Villapando and Monk-Heidrich won the first game easily with a score of 21-10. In the second game, their aggressive serves and strong siding out helped them defeat the Seahawks, 21-8, in the second game, clinching the duo’s overall victory.

“We really focused on serve-receive today, and since we don’t play this team often, I feel that we were able to get in the rhythm during the second game,” Villapando said.

Frohoff and Ungar started out strong, winning  the first game 21-7. Ungar said that the pair’s use of communication and tough serving helped them clinch an overall win in the second game, 21-11.

“It’s all about making sure we play consistent, at a high level and that we don’t drop down to a lower level,” Frohoff said. “We always make sure to keep our serves in and keep making plays.”

Bakos and Harvey lost to Redondo by a score of 21-10 in the first game. In the second game, the duo struggled to control  its passing because of  the strong winds, resulting in another loss, 21-10.

“The wind made it difficult to set and hit, but we all did a really good job using the wind to our advantage instead of [letting it become] an obstacle,” Bakos said.

The Mustangs remain undefeated with an overall record of 10-0. They will play in their first Southern Pacific Interational Beach Volleyball League playoff game on May 4 at Dockweiler Beach against an as-yet-undetermined opponent.

“Our goal is to minimize our mistakes and defeat the opposing team as quickly as possible,” coach Eric Fonoimoana said. “We are such a talented team, and I am hoping we will be able to stay undefeated.”