By Katie Mitchell
Staff Writer
Girls volleyball flew through the first round of state, defeating La Jolla High School, 3-1.
The Mustangs kicked off the first round of State Championships against La Jolla on Tuesday at Manhattan Beach Middle School and defeated the Vikings, 3-1.
“Overall, I believe everyone played really well,” sophomore middle blocker Shannon Knight said. “We all shared our motivation to win the game, and we came together as a team.”
The Mustangs hit the ground running with senior outside hitter Kate Reilly’s sewing run. According to sophomore libero Savannah Standage, Reilly stood out during this set with strong defense and crucial kills. The Mustangs kept their energy levels up throughout the set as they finished with a score of 25-8.
“In our first set, our energy level was great, and we went crazy for every point,” Knight said. “I think our energy is why we got such a great run in the first set.”
The Vikings fought back due to many blocks and kills. Senior setter Ella Snyder and junior middle blocker Savannah Green made important blocks and dives. The Mustangs were unable to come back and fell short, 25-20.
“I think we got overconfident and expected to win the set without bringing the same effort and energy,” Knight said. “Our energy level went down, leading to our playing level dropping as well.”
The Mustangs knew they had to bring back their first-set mentality. Although it was close throughout the set, Costa prevailed, 25-20, due to a strong defensive game led by Snyder.
“After we lost the second set, it drove us to work harder and fight as a team to win the next two sets,” junior right side hitter Amanda Burns said. “We have practiced similar situations during practices, so it was easier for us to apply it during the game.”
During the final set, the Mustangs came out stronger with kills across the front row. The Mustangs won the final set, 25-18, ending the game 3-1 and moved onto the second round of playoffs.
“Kate Reilly did a good job communicating and bringing our team together,” Standage said. “The whole team played well together, and overall it was a successful game.”
The Mustangs played in the second round of State on Thursday at the MBMS against Vista Murieta High School, but the results of the match were not available at the time of publication.
“On Thursday, I believe we will start game 1 with lots of effort and competitiveness to take the win and keep our energy level high throughout the whole match,” senior Erica Griffiths said.
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