Girls’ volleyball advances to CCS despite losses in A league

With an overall season record of 12-18, the girls’ volleyball team encountered some tough competition after moving up to the De Anza A league this year, but with their strong work ethic and determination, they were able to make their way into CCS as the No. 8 seed.

The Falcons ended their season with CCS, hosting San Jose’s Notre Dame on Nov. 11. After a tough loss in the first set with a score of 25-16, the Falcons came back in the second set 25-21. The girls then lost the third and fourth sets 25-17 and 25-18, respectively.

Senior outside hitter Amanda Meserve said that they had previously been focusing on serve receives and overall defense to strengthen the team as much as possible before the match.

Meserve said that the team has improved throughout the season and played well even after advancing to a higher league.

“I [wanted] to make [the matches] the best possible games that I could since it will be my last year here,” Meserve said.

The girls played their last league game on Nov. 3 against Homestead, but lost 3-0 with match scores of 25-20, 25-21 and 25-18. Nevertheless, the Falcons competed hard in every game, despite some players’ absences.

According to Meserve, sophomore defensive specialist Dasha Gousseva became a key player during this match, as a substitute for captain senior setter Nicole Chiou, who sustained a concussion during the Palo Alto match on Oct. 27. Meserve also praised senior defensive specialist Jennifer Chen, who took junior libero Julia Vita’s place; Vita was not able to attend a few games due to a family emergency.

As the season closes, Chiou reminisced about her favorite memories of the volleyball season, a year that saw the departure of their regular coach Brad Frederickson after his adult son was in a serious car accident.

“We have supported each other through this season, [which was] full of ups and downs,” Chiou said. “It has definitely brought us closer together and caused us to realize just how much we care about one another.”