The Paly girls volleyball team ended their season with a playoff loss against Carlmont on Saturday, October 29th. With a final score of 3-1 the Vikings concluded a hard-fought season, one resulting in yet another playoff berth. The Vikes finished the season with a winning record of 17-15 overall and 3-9 in league play.

The season started out strong with a win against Westmont 3-0. This high-energy league game really set the tone for the season. With many fans in the stands, the Vikings felt supported as they dominated the game-winning three sets with scores of 25-15, 25-14, and 25-9. 

Since their first game this season, the Vikings have been motivated and driven to win. Throughout the duration of the season, this team played exceptionally against very experienced teams like Los Gatos and St. Francis as well as triumphing against rivals such as Gunn and Cupertino 

Through thick and thin, the team showed great improvement and perseverance throughout the long season. Through team bonding and excellent chemistry, the Vikings have learned to work well together in all areas of the game. However, during the middle of the season, the squad hit a rough patch. This bump in the road consisted of nine straight losses, six of them being shutouts. The Vikings broke the streak with a nice 2-0 win over DCP El Primero. Winning four out of their last seven, the team showed great resilience through a brutal stretch.

“Midseason we definitely hit a patch of fatigue and after so many consecutive losses it was hard to keep our heads up,” senior Evie Kramer said. “We continued to work hard and found what we needed to do as a team to perform at our best and that is what ultimately led to our reverse sweep on Senior Night”

The aforementioned reverse sweep was the highlight of the year for many players, especially with the game falling on Senior Night. Shortly after the senior ceremony, the Vikings found themselves in a 2-0 hole, only one set away from a crushing loss. The team rallied together, winning 3 sets in a row to complete a thrilling comeback and exuberating senior night overall. 

With many new players on varsity volleyball this season, this year served as a big stepping stone for the program. The team was far from senior-heavy, with only 5 seniors on the roster. Finding success in younger players this season is huge for coach Chris Crader and his team moving forward. 

“We started off really well but struggled towards the middle due to multiple injured players which was a little frustrating. We were able to finish pretty strong and overall it was a really fun season,” junior Kylie Yen said. 

Overall, the Vikings had a great season, with many great stories coming out of it. With great play from both upper and underclassmen, this season was one to be proud of and build upon in the future.