On August 24, the Berkeley High School varsity girls volleyball team took on the Deer Valley Wolverines in the first game of their 2022 season. BHS came out on top, winning the game in straight sets.
Early in the first set, neither team was able to get a significant lead. Simone Landau, a senior, said that the tight score was partially due to “a lot of unforced errors, which I think has something to do with nerves.”
Co-head Coach Alison West noted that during the end of the first set, “(a BHS Player) hit a ball into a corner and they said it was out, and it was clearly like two feet in, and the line ref called it in and they got mad. … That was a key point that kind of lit a fire under us.”
At the end of the first set, it appeared as if Deer Valley had won, 24-26. However, the last call made by the referee was disputed, and ended up being overturned, making the score 25-25.
As a result of the dispute, the play had to be redone. BHS went on to score two more points and take the first set.
The second set began very evenly, similar to the first one. Midway through, however, BHS started to create a more pronounced separation in the score.
“I feel like in the middle of the second set, we really powered through and focused in,” said Camille Jacala, a junior. BHS maintained the lead throughout the second set, and ended up winning it, with a score of 25-18.
Once again, the third set began with an even score. After a while, BHS started to pull ahead, and they remained dominant throughout the set. They went on to win 25-18, therefore winning the game 3-0.
West credited the level of experience that the eight returning varsity players bring to the team as a reason for their success, stating that “most of them played tonight. So that was a huge strength for us.”
When asked about the team’s goals for the season, West answered, “banners on the wall. That’s our goal.”