On Oct. 20, the Bonita Vista High (BVH) Lady Barons volleyball team faced off against the Otay Ranch High (ORH) Mustangs in the gym. The game was expected to be competitive, with ORH standing in first place in the Metro Mesa league and BVH being in third. With a quick huddle and “one two three, Lady Barons,” the game began. BVH Head Coach Ahmad Rice expected a game full of hard work by his players.
“The expectations were to have everyone working hard,” Rice said. “I try to have a blank slate going into matchups like this, see what happens and make adjustments as they are playing throughout the game.”
The game began strongly for the Lady Barons, with explosive hits and blocks by multiple players, including freshman Affiani Saleaumua-Trisby (11) and junior Ava Bryant (5). As a result, the score ended up being 5-1 in the first few minutes of the set. Sophomore and setter Syara Platero (3) noted the blocks to be critical to their lead.
“Bryant [and Saleaumua] blocked the ball and it went straight down. We were all really hyped and it was a key moment. We have consistently done blocking drills in practice and it has been showing in games a lot,” Platero said.
Despite an undoubtedly excellent start, the set turned sour for the Lady Barons when the score tied 8-8, and while miscommunication and drops occurred on their side of the net, the Mustangs began to improve their game. A notable rally set the tone between the teams as the set came to a close, ultimately ending in the Mustangs gaining the point and the set with a score of 20-25. Platero claimed that key points of improvement were consistency and communication, something that proved crucial to the set.
“As a team, I think we can all be more consistent in setting, serving and closing blocks. We are doing great right now, but we can get better,” Platero said. “We did very well in communication in the beginning and we were all together on the bench and court, but toward the end, we were not doing as well. We would always talk, but it would not show. Communication went down when [the score went] down but we figured out how to get it up again.”
Similarly to the first, the second set of the game began positively for the Lady Barons with the score being 5-2 in the initial minutes. The score went back and forth with several competitive rallies, ORH and BVH respectively leading by a few points until the other caught up. The set concluded with Otay on top once again, but the score was closer: 22-25. Despite taking the loss for a second consecutive set, the Lady Barons kept morale up. Saleaumua explained a specific tradition they do, which consists of dancing around in a circle while chanting.
“We go around and do a dance to make sure we are not negative, especially toward each other,” Saleaumua said. “We started [this tradition] when we played at a tournament and while we were waiting, we just decided to do some dances.”
This morale translated into the next set and game at large, but despite it, the third set flipped the pattern of BVH starting off strongly, and instead Otay led 5-2 within the first several plays. The Lady Barons picked up some slack and got the game to 6-7; however, the Mustangs stayed in the lead and took advantage of the ball dropping consistently on BVH’s side. Before the final point of the game, the Lady Barons huddled, spoke words of motivation and got back into place with ten seconds remaining on the timeout clock. With a missed serve by the Lady Barons, the set concluded with a score of 19-25 and the game ended with ORH winning 3-0. Rice commented on the pressure the Lady Barons faced in this matchup.
“We have been focusing on the sheer work involved and overcoming the downside of a game. Being able to overcome the pressure and maintain focus and consistency during high-pressure situations is really important,” Rice said. “Our team is relatively new and we have good learning moments when it comes to how they handle pressure.”
Ultimately, the game was notably close set-by-set, but the Lady Barons fell short in the end. Communication, consistency and coverage are key points of improvement for later games, and this was something highlighted and delivered during their senior night on Oct. 24, where they beat Mater Dei 3-1. This was an especially important outcome for Leah Letuli (8), the sole senior on the team and Saleaumua’s cousin. Saleaumua added a final note with this in mind.
“As a team, we talk about what we need to fix and spend time together. For example, in the team room, we talk about what we could improve and what we could not,” Saleaumua said. “I am excited for senior night because my cousin Leah is a senior. We want to win for her.”
