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November 22, 2024
As the 2024 girls volleyball league season comes to an end, it marks the start of the most exciting and fast-paced part of the volleyball season: CIF playoffs. Spirits were high when the varsity team finished first in league, winning their last game at a final score of 3-1, cementing their title as undefeated the whole season, and adding another year to the banner, which, until now, hadn’t been updated since 2019.
In the first set of the Pirates v. Frazier Mountain playoff match, both teams remained relatively evenly matched until the Pirates got a sideout which started the streak of challenging serves from number five, junior Alana Shields, who is a leader in hitting and serving in the Ocean League, with a hitting percentage of 27.2% and 37 aces in just one season. This serving run only stopped after a hit went into the net on the home side, which ended the rally. By point 22, Frazier Mountain was only leading by four points, which was sustained up until match point, with 20-24. After a hard-fought battle and multiple long rallies, the game ended with a missed serve on the home side, making the final score 23-25.
Girls varsity team doing their last cheer of the season (Photo Credit: Alana Shields)
Junior Keo Cross started the second set with several serves that gave the Pirates a two-point lead. This set remained relatively even, until the visitors gained several points that set them ahead. Similar to the first set, the one following was visibly evenly matched. However, the Frazier Mountain Falcons got a significant lead about two-thirds through the set, which ended up winning the set for them. Although the Pirates worked hard to try to get it back on their side, in the end there were several parts of the set that unfortunately caused them to lose the set. Sheebs Frey, the varsity coach, said, “The main thing that lost the set was our serving and roller coaster energy.”
As the fourth set began, the energy on the Pirates side may have been down, but that would soon change. Just like the other two, this game was full of exciting back-and-forth, reflected by the score that showed that the teams were within only a few points of each other. However, once a sideout for the Falcons gave them the serve, the Morro Bay Pirates were unfortunately then at a disadvantage of five points. The Pirates won it back, though, after a sideout and several incredibly long and hard-fought rallies, and soon the fight was started again to get ahead. Their goal was fulfilled when Shields and junior Ava Amesse led two substantial serving runs which got the score tied at 20-20, and eventually won the game with a final score of 25-20. According to Frey, “The best thing the team did in this game was coming back in the third set and not giving up. In the past we have shut down after losing two games, but they came back and won the third set with good energy."
Although the energy continued to bring the players up and play their best, the hits and serves from the visiting team unfortunately were often too powerful, and caused several balls to be shanked on the home side, which in the end caused the Falcons to remain in the lead for the majority of the set. As the set went on, the Pirates put up a good fight but in the end were unable to pull out a win against Frazier Mountain.
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