On Sep. 5, Varsity girl’s volleyball played Mira Mesa at home in a heated, back-and-forth series of backlash filled with drama, stemming from a long string of questionable calls that have made strong impacts on the flow of the game. The match contained mixed reactions, due to the constant retaliation from the fans leading to widespread disapproval of many of the calls made by the referees assigned. Junior opposite hitter Layla Bonner-Smith (7) asserted that the most difficult aspect of the match were the calls, adding how the expressed frustration was derived from the—in her opinion—unreasonable calls made by the refs.
“The most difficult part of the game [were] the referees. They had a problem with us from the beginning [of the match],” Bonner-Smith said. “It became challenging to get through the sets because of how these calls threw us off, leading to blunders.”
This widely shared opinion was not seen just among the players, but also the crowd. One of the most pivotal calls came from the second set, when the up referee called an illegal jump off a backrow attack by sophomore setter Affiani Trisby (11)–escalating tensions within the court. Parents threw their hands up in the air and coaches screamed in dissent while students looked at each other in confusion. Freshman and novice player Cathiren Mercado, spectated the match from the bleachers as she recalled how that decision changed the course of the game.
“The referees made a mistake in calling her on the attack,” Mercado said. “From where I was sitting, I did not see a jump. I thought she just lifted her hand.”
This call spiralled into a heated discourse between BVH Coach Jennifer Saleaumua and the referees, in which Saeaumua continuously challenged the call on the court. As the verbal exchange got heated, Saleaumua eventually received a yellow card—much to the team’s dissatisfaction. Yet, despite the discourse, there was nothing to be done as the referee’s decision was set in stone. Although there were several hotly contested calls through the game, Bonner-Smith explained that resilience is important no matter the situation.
“I honestly believe that the referees should not affect your vibe during the game. It is always good to remember that [circumstances like these] are okay because [bad calls are a] part of the game,” Bonner-Smith said. “Sometimes you are [going to] have [questionable] refs, but sometimes they just want it more than we do.”
As the Lady Barons fought through the game, it became an endless battle between Mira Mesa and BVH. Unfortunately, the team lost all three sets 3-0 against their fiery opponent. After the game, sophomore middle blocker Lauren Acosta reflected on how the team can improve in the future, and how communicating with teammates is imperative.
“I think that I could talk a little bit more with my team, like really come together after every point [won or lost],” Acosta said.“I believe just [bringing] the energy up on and off the court is important to keep for not only this game, but games in the future where we will keep improving and striving to be the best.”
