After six excruciating games, the Girls Varsity Volleyball Team advanced onto the finals in the Mission Bay Bucs Bash Tournament. During game point, Senior Ashley Garcia tossed the ball high in the air and served, landing the ball in the corner on the other side of the court, scoring an ace and winning the tournament.
“Our team is led by Setter Senior Emma Colton and Outside Hitter Seniors Eva Luna and Ashley Garcia. They have been playing amazing all season and are great leaders on and off the court for the younger girls,” said Assistant Coach and Curie Elementary Teacher Felicia Baca.
According to Baca, “We beat the hosting team, Mission Bay High, in the finals to win the championship. The girls played the best they have all year, winning seven matches and not losing a single set all weekend.” Standley Middle School P.E. Teacher Coach Aaron Hartin would be the head coach of the Girls Varsity Volleyball Team if not for his recent surgery. Baca is stepping up to that role and coaching both the Freshman and the Varsity Teams this year.
Baca said that the team won the Eastern League last year, which qualified them to move into the Western League, the toughest in their Division. “We had to play very good schools like Cathedral Catholic, La Jolla, Point Loma, and OLP [Academy of our Lady of Peace],” added Baca.
“I think everyone was really happy because [the tournament victory] was so unexpected. We didn’t think we were going to make it that far. Our team kind of just went in for fun. We weren’t expecting to win the entire thing,” said Team Captain Senior Eva Luna.
“The feeling that came with winning gold was indescribable. The hours put into practice over the weekends paid off,” said Junior Ellasyn Scuba. “We ended up beating a team from Oceanside that we didn’t think we would be able to beat, so we’re really proud of that,” she continued.
“We saw them play the game before and we were like ‘Oh crap, they’re gonna whoop our butts.’ They were really good; they were tall, really scrappy, and they got every single ball. That was our hardest game in the tournament but we still won in two sets,” said Luna.
“Our standout performances this year have been winning the tournament as well as a victory against Point Loma. We hope to continue our wins and do better for our next games,” Scuba said.
Luna talked about their team rivalries, stating, “Our biggest rival right now might be OLP because last year we were tied in the Eastern League, and this year we moved up into a really hard League with them.”
“The girls, on all three teams [varsity, junior varsity, and freshman], are having great seasons,” said Baca. She added, “The Freshman Team won the Silver Division in the Sweetwater Tournament earlier this season and the Junior Varsity Team has been winning tough games all season long. They have really stepped up against strong opponents and are dedicating this season to Coach Hartin and want to make him proud while he recovers from surgery.”
“I’m really proud of my team, because we’re doing amazing right now,” said Scuba. The team currently has a record of 19 wins and 8 losses, according to MaxPreps (maxpreps.com).