Volleyball win streak continues even as pressure amounts

The pressure is building up as the season progresses for the PCC volleyball team. With a (10-1) record, and a 7 game win streak, everyone is out to get the team to break that streak.

“I feel like every team that plays against us,” Outside Hitter Verenice Gonzalez said. “They just want to compete against us.”

Every team in the division is out to get the Lancers, with an increased average number of kills and rallys, teams are playing harder than ever to be the one that breaks the streak.

“Their intensity goes up.“ Gonzales said, “we wanted to be the team to beat [everyone].”

The volleyball team might be on the best season in PCC Volleyball History, their record of (10-1) and a perfect (7-0) in home matches is a sight to see in any sport. However, pressure is what awaits the PCC girls volleyball team in this game. With a calm silence during the warmup, their serious faces, one thought came into mind. “Is this going to be the game that we lose?”

“I think today, I’ve definitely had better games,” Middle blocker Camila Sanchez-Tellez said. “I feel like today, the vibe of the team was a little off…”

Many players on the team thought they could have played better. Some of the players said that the intensity of spirit during the warm up was off, and some mentioned having a rough start. They had slight struggles getting their head in the game.

As the game started, the lancers went into their positions, ready to serve,– as the whistle blew, the Lancers served. Point LA Harbor. Breath in -– Breath out –, LA Harbor served, received by Libero Saku Yoshioka to setter Annie Lay and set to Verenice Gonzalez that scored their first point.

“So when the game started and I got my first kill,— I was like okay maybe it’s a fluke, hopefully I could do it again. And it kept working. “ Gonzalez said.

The coach of the LA Harbor was asked, who was the main threat in the Lancers roster?

“They are all good as a collective.” head coach Christian Cammayo said. “They are very well coached, and they have alot of fire power, they are very disciplined, they dont make alot of errors, and they serve really tough. But if I had to say, number 16, the taller middle blocker, we couldn’t handle it. “

Middle blockers are the walls that stop the opponents from scoring. Whether it’s to completely stop or to slow it down, middle blockers are the goalie of volleyball. Number 16, middle blocker Paulina Lopez is the threat that LA Harbor couldn’t handle.

“I think my height has a huge advantage.” Lopez said. “When I go up, no one really knows what to expect, and no one knows how to track it.”

While height is not the only important component of volleyball, being tall is definitely an advantage. Lopez being 6’1, creates a larger zone of coverage to block the ball, as well as a larger attack variability.

“I feel like I’m intimidating on and off the court.” Lopez said. “So when other teams see me it’s shocking.”

In every sport, the game begins when the team steps off the bus. How the team walks into a gym, how their passes are during warm-up, even the athleticism and physique can become intimidating, or even an advantage. Lopez, one of the taller girls in this division, is already winning the mental game.

The team won 3-0 in the game against LA Harbor. The Lancers served 13 aces (percent serves), Gonzalez scored 10 kills, Lopez scored 5 kills, and Sanchez-Tellez scored 8 kills. They team seems to be a threat, and they are just getting started.