Colin Fournier
On Oct. 2, the Aragon varsity girls volleyball team (6-2 overall) overwhelmed Hillsdale High (3-5 overall) in three straight sets — 25-20, 25-21, 25-19 — during their annual Dig Pink game, held to bring awareness for breast cancer.
“Our record is actually better this year at the start than last year,” said head coach Annette Gennaro.
With strong performances early in the season, Gennaro hopes to make another playoff run, finish top of the league and potentially win finals.
“One of [our] accomplishments this season was probably beating Burlingame,” said senior and libero Sosefina Tatola. “They’ve always been a good offensive team, so that was definitely… a confidence booster for us.”
The team’s success has been fueled by key players like senior and setter Gabby Xiao and sophomores and outside hitters Poppy McKenzie and Emilia Kunkel. Many players are returning members, which has strengthened their chemistry and coordination both offensively and defensively.
“Emi and Poppy as my hitters hit extremely hard,” Gennaro said. “And they’re smart hitters.”
Gennaro also appreciates the experience the juniors and seniors bring to the table. The team tends to run a lot of quicker balls, like one’s in the middle and go’s on the outside. On average, Gennaro says that practices are half drills and half gameplay.
“We try to [practice] position-wise as well as [as a] whole [team],” Gennaro said. “I like [my hitters] to hit not only on the outside but also hit in the middle and the right side … so that [if] I do face an injury, we know how to adapt and change.”
In the first set, Aragon had a slow start. Going down 2-7 straightaway, confidence and energy seemed low.
“[When] we were down, it was just mostly [because of] our passing and we were just a little nervous or unfocused,” said junior and setter Devyn Lee.
After a key hit by Kunkel, Hillsdale’s early run came to an end. Aragon responded with four straight points, narrowing the gap to 6-7. The teams traded points until Aragon pulled ahead 9-9, followed with six unanswered points. The first set ended 25-20, giving Aragon the momentum going into the second set.
The second set started out with two aces in Hillsdale’s favor. The pace of the game seemed to slow as the score stayed around even until 8-9. Aragon lost three points in a row until McKenzie scored on a set by Lee, bringing the score to 9-12. The score stayed steady until 11-13 and Hillsdale’s lead was soon five points. The set was not going well and all momentum from the first set seemed to be dead.
“I was expecting [Hillsdale] to win and I was really excited for [them],” said spectator Manny Dasilva.
Aragon continued fighting at a deficit until 17-20, where the team scored five break points, coming back and bringing the score to 22-20. Hillsdale only ended up scoring one more point and the set ended with a score of 25-21.
The third set started out well for Aragon as Hillsdale watched the ball fall between two of their players. This set the tone for the rest of the set as after Hillsdale went up 3-1, they lost their lead and never got it back. After Aragon went up 20-16 late, Hillsdale called a time out. Their attempt to regroup was unsuccessful as they called their second time-out at 23-19. In the end, Hillsdale simply was not able to save the ball and lost two points in a row.
“I was slightly disappointed [in Hillsdale] because I know that they could’ve done a lot better,” Dasilva said.
Spectator Anna Tatola shared the energy she felt during the game.
“I was feeling very ecstatic and just like pumped up,” Tatola said. “My niece plays volleyball and I’m just here to cheer her on.”
After the game, some players reflected on their victory and the atmosphere of the night.
“[This game] was my favorite game out of all of them so far because everyone was so loud,” said Lee. “It was just like the spirit of the game, the dig pink.”
Now with a record of 6-2, the Dons continue to build momentum as they aim for a season for the books.
