The Anzar High School girls varsity volleyball team remains undefeated this season after a 3-1 victory on Oct. 6 over Santa Cruz’s Kirby Preparatory School, the eighth game in the season.
The lopsided win was all the more impressive as the Griffins were last year’s Pacific Coast Athletic League (PCAL) champions, with an imposing 13-2 final record—and this is the second time the Hawks have won against them this season.
“I love playing this season,” said Rhiannon Scrimsher, 17. “We have already beaten each team in the league once. Now we just have to go back and do it again. And I feel we definitely can.”
While the win against Kirby was decisive, it was not easy. The Hawks built momentum and expectations with the first two sets, winning them 25-18 and 25-17. The third set provided a setback, with the Hawks trailing by 10 points for most of the game, rallying at the end and coming close, but still losing 25-23.
The team came back strong in the fourth set, shutting the Griffins down quickly, scoring 25-9 against them and taking the match.
“The server on Kirby’s side is really good—I have to give that to her,” Cameron Sloma, 17, said. “Everyone on our team was super frustrated, and every time we went into a huddle, we’d ask ourselves what we were doing. We were disappointed about losing that one set because we came so far up, within a couple of points.”
Coach Rance Hodge, who led the Anzar boy’s basketball team to a PCAL championship last year, said that the Kirby game showed the team still needs a little polish.
“In that third set,” he said, “I think we got comfortable, and we play down when we feel superior. So that set humbled us. I think there were also a lot of mental errors that we see consistently. The girls rallied together and pulled it out, but there are a lot of things we are going to take on tomorrow in practice.”
Still, a victory is a victory and Hodge said things have been going well this year.
“It has been a very exciting season and a whirlwind of emotion,” he said. “We are 8-0 and we are very happy about that but we know there is a lot of work to do. None of these games has been a walk in the park. So we are trying to stay humble and take it one game at a time.”
Hodge said that the toughest game so far was their very first of the season, also played against Kirby.
“We were all new and trying to get the chemistry going,” he said. “The attacks were very strong from their setter and their outside hitter and we weren’t ready for that kind of power. It caused us to learn about ourselves very quickly.”
One big change for the team this year is that spectators are once again allowed to attend the games, and, for the team, the noise and commotion of a crowd makes a big difference.
“It is so much better to have people being able to come and watch us again,” Scrimsher said. “The football team comes to the games after their practice, and other students and our parents are coming to the games too. Everything is so alive in the gym and all that encouragement helps us play better.”
With three home games left and a potential championship team to cheer for, Hodge is hoping the crowds get even bigger.
“We love the fans when they come out,” he said. “And we hope they will cheer even louder and transfer some of their energy to the team. We want people to come and support us and we will put on the best show we can. We love where we are and we want to make known to the world that we are here.”
All remaining games begin at 6 p.m.
Oct. 11: Marina High School (away game)
Oct. 13: Trinity High School (home game)
Oct. 17: Pacific Point High School (away game)
Oct. 19: Oakwood High School (home game)
Oct. 24: York High School (home game)
Oct. 26: Greenfield High School (away game)
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