CIF: girls volleyball spikes their way to state playoffs win

On Nov. 7, the Aragon varsity girls volleyball team (24-13 overall, 10-3 league) defeated the Roseville Tigers (33-6 overall, 12-0 league) in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation State Girls Volleyball Championships. The Dons went into the game having secured a second straight Central Coast Section championship on Nov. 4 after a 24-win season, a success that head coach Annette Gennaro attributes to the work the team has put in.

“We only had five returning players from last year, so that’s a lot of newcomers coming up,” Gennaro said. “We spend a lot of time working and practicing to get everyone up to the speed of the game.”

This preseason and mid season work, however, is not the only thing that has contributed to the Dons’ success. The team’s chemistry, both on and off the court, plays a role in their winning record this season. 

“We tend to have a lot of fun on the court,” said senior Kathleen Suayan. “Playing loose on the court and trusting each other is very crucial to winning those close points.”

Their ongoing chemistry and hard work at practice gave the Dons the edge they needed to defeat the Tigers in just three sets.

Aragon started the game serving, winning the first three points with help from junior Sophie Rubenstein’s first kill of many, and an ace from senior Are Makropoulos. The next 15 plays were a back and forth battle, with kills from junior Cassandra McMillan, sophomore Gabriella Xiao and Rubenstein. After that, the Dons took over, scoring 11 points almost consecutively, to win the set 25 to 9. 

“The girls were really excited to have a home game,” Gennaro said. “They came out serving well and our defense was very good.” 

The Dons did, in fact, come out serving well, with three aces in the first set alone. Their defense, led by Suayan, held the Tigers to just nine points in the first set and allowed for the momentum to carry them into their second set.

The second set was much more evenly matched, with both teams battling back and forth for points. The Tigers picked up their offensive game, scoring 10 times in the first 20 plays. Aragon however, thanks to strong offense by Rubenstein and freshman Kaitlyn Robertson, kept the game even, never letting the score differ by more than three points. The back and forth battle continued on despite the Dons’ good defense and persistent offense. The Dons ultimately won the set 25 to 21, a result of  the combined 12 kills in the set and the relentless efforts by the back row to keep the ball up.

The third set followed much of the same back and forth between the teams. This time, the Dons were down for the majority of the set, up until the last six plays, during which the Dons scored six unanswered points, claiming the set 25-21. The set’s comeback win secured the quarterfinal victory for the Dons. 

“They just had the drive and the push to play together as a team and get the win,” Gennaro said after the game. 

The Dons lost the semifinals of the CIF playoffs on Nov. 9 against University High School (22-8 overall, 10-0 league) 0-3, putting an end to a successful season.