Tonight, the Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity team will play its last game of the 2011 season. The Lady Vikes (35-3, 12-0) will play the SoCal Championship team, Marymount High School (34-4, 8-0) for the CIF Division I State Championship at Concordia University at 7 p.m.
After watching almost every match the Lady Vikes have played this season, here are some key points as to why I predict that Paly will come out on top in tonight’s match:
Previous State Champs: Going to a State Championship is not stepping in new waters for Paly. Capturing the 2010 Division I State trophy last season takes a little pressure off the Lady Vikes because they’ve experienced the magnitude of a State final. And with only graduating two seniors last season, libero Megan Coleman (’11) and outside hitter Trina Ohms (’11), almost the entire team will mirror last years’ roster.
Eight seniors: This season, half of the Lady Vikes roster consists of seniors. Three are committed to Division I colleges for volleyball; setter Kimmy Whitson (’12) for the University of the Pacific, middle blocker Melanie Wade (’12) for the University of Washington and outside hitter Maddie Kuppe (’12) for the University of Connecticut. Opposite hitter Caroline Martin (’12) is committed to Connecticut College for Division III volleyball. Being a senior means having an all-or-nothing attitude towards play, especially because it is the last game for the seniors’ high school careers, win or lose.
“It’s going to be all about leaving everything on the court and not regretting any moment of the game,” Martin said. “If we do that I think we have a good chance of winning.”
Confidence: Let’s be honest, the Lady Vikes have not faced many difficult games this season. After going undefeated in league and smacking the Menlo-Atherton Bears twice, once for the Division I CCS Championship and again for the NorCal finals, Paly must be going into this game with confidence. Marymount, who was predicted to fall to Los Alamitos High School in the SoCal championship game, barely scraped by in the final round of SoCals, winning in four games with scores of 21-25, 25-20, 25-20 and 25-21. In mental toughness, Paly has the upper hand.
Chemistry: There’s something about the way Paly plays that is like no other team. The chemistry on the court is untouchable, because each player is an expert in their respective position, but everyone is versatile as well. For example, Wade is a master at finding open spots on the court, but can dig or set when needed. Whiston is known for her strong left-handed sneak attack tips and kills that have attributed to many of the Lady Vikes points in  times of pressure. And any one of Paly’s hitters can hit just as well back row as front row, causing teams to often struggle picking up their hits.
Overall, the Lady Vikes will simply have to do what they’ve been doing all year: taking each moment as it comes and not focusing on the game as a whole. This important goal is what Paly did last year, allowing them to make history for the Paly community.
If you can’t make it to the game, the Viking will be live blogging and tweeting the match. Text “Follow thevikingmag” to 40404 to receive updates about each game, and check our live blog to see pictures and further details notes from the match. Go Vikings!
