Girls volleyball drops the ball

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the North Gym was flooded with excited Samo students ready to watch the girls varsity volleyball team play their biggest rival, Culver City High School, in which Samo lost, 4-5.Before the start of the first set, the atmosphere in the gym was tense and nerves danced in the air. Both the players and onlookers were worried about facing Culver, who had proven to be a challenge in the past. Varsity setter Dylan Leight (’20) was especially anxious about the match, but confident in her team’s skills.“Culver is one of the team's in our league to beat, but we have done it before, and we are all excited to play hard and attempt to do it again,” Leight said. “We all play well together and want a victory.”As the ball flew up into the air on the first serve, the audience was on the edge of their seats prepared to cheer on the team. The girls worked cohesively together to get the ball over the net, but Culver put up a fight. Samo played well, but were not playing at Culver’s skill level. Despite their effort, Samo lost the first of five sets with a score 25-17.Annalise Wille (’20) knew that the team could recover from the loss heading into the second set.“We have a team of skilled girls and the ability to come back from any loss. I knew that we had to keep pushing ourselves and working hard to see a victory,” Wille said.Tensions from the beginning of the game were still running high entering the second set, however Samo was now out for blood. As the girls began their second set, the spectators were on their feet roaring with chants to support the team. With the combination of skill and perseverance, Samo annihilated Culver in the second set, winning 25-15. Channing Baker (’20) was proud of the teamwork Samo had on the court.“[During the second set] we were super focused and were able to perform really well. We had an iffy start but I'm proud of our team for coming back and working hard for the win,” Baker said.The third and fourth set were blurs of nerves and energy, with both teams desperate for victory. Culver won the third set 23-25, followed by Samo taking the fourth set 25-22. With one final set determining the final score, it was anyone’s game.The crowd was wild going into the fifth set. Both ready to win, Samo and Culver pushed themselves as hard as they could.It was a hard game with the score teetering back and forth between the teams. With a devastating final point, Samo lost the game, 7-15.The girls gathered to thank the other team and congratulate themselves on the good effort. Coach Liane Sato was proud of her team’s performance, despite the loss.“Things are looking bright for us. That was a great match! Culver is a really good team and I think we battled [Culver well],” Sato said. After the game, the team now has to focus on and prepare for their next match later this week against El Segundo.