Varsity volleyball lost to South Pasadena 2-3 at a home game on Tuesday, Nov. 19 in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) division four regional final.
The Mustangs advanced to the CIF regional finals after winning against Laguna Beach 3-0 and Brawley 3-1. This opportunity gave them a second chance to secure Walnut volleyball’s first CIF title following a 0-3 defeat to Oak Hills in the CIF Southern Section division six state finals.
The Mustangs kept a consistent training routine—from two hours of practice daily, to warming up early on game days. However, as head coach Katie Meier recalls, their main focus was getting in the right mindset.
“I think the girls had a lot of pressure going to another final after losing their last final, so what I tried to do was prepare them mentally,” Meier said. “Our constant reminder of ‘you’re doing it for each other, you’re doing it for the betterment of the team,’ was kind of the mindset I [put out there].”
Heading into the first set, the Mustangs maintained a steady game against the Tigers. With each team experiencing service and hitting errors, the score remained close in the beginning. However, the Mustangs ultimately could not keep up with the Tigers’ powerful hits and lost the set 18-25.
“I feel like we started off really slow and made a lot of mistakes because we were all really nervous,” defense specialist senior Angelynn Soong said. “There were just a lot of nerves in the air, and everyone was getting in their heads.”
After losing the first set, the Mustangs built up momentum and began to lead the second set with their strong hits and defensive strategies. To target the Tigers’ hits that came at an angle, they switched their defense strategy from a rotational to perimeter defense. On the other hand, the Tigers made multiple service errors and lost control in strategizing their hits, allowing the Mustangs to win 25-13.
“They would hit at angles a lot and had really tall middle [blockers], so we had to work around that,” libero junior Joya Shen said. “We focused on covering blocks, hitting around blocks and just making sure to play smart because of such tall middle blockers.”
The third set began with an ace from outside hitter sophomore Leilah Salonga and progressed with intense rallies between the two teams. The Mustangs kept a strong defense and blocked hits from the Tigers, allowing them to accumulate points. After a service error from the Tigers, which called for a 24-22 timeout, the Mustangs closed the third set 25-22.
“They came out ready and beat them in the second and third sets, showing they wanted the win,” Meier said. “However, the fourth set is always the hardest. Whether or not you are in the lead, it’s always the hardest. Things change mentally for you as a player, and you realize you’re really close.”
In the fourth set, the Tigers bounced back with revitalized energy, catching the Mustangs off guard. The Mustangs kept up the rallies but fell to the Tigers’ multiple serving aces and kills, losing the set 13-25.
“I think we fell asleep because we were like—‘oh, we already won two sets, so we can just win this one too,’” Soong said. “As soon as somebody made mistakes, they got in their [own] head, and then everyone else did too, leading to more mistakes. It was hard to let go because it was such a nerve-wracking game with so much pressure. That was what killed us in the end—we couldn’t get out of our heads.”
With high stakes and elevated tensions, the fifth set would serve to determine the CIF regional champion. The set would only last up to 15 points, which also added to the pressure. The Mustangs pushed through and put their best effort into the fast-paced round, keeping a close game against the Tigers. In a fierce rally at 12-14, they failed in their attempts to block hits, unable to fend off the Tigers’ attacks. The fifth set ended 12-15.
“I feel like the fifth set was really anyone’s game,” Shen said. “It was really close, and anyone could have had it either way. However, in the end, because we made a little bit more mistakes than them, we fell.”
After the game, the Mustangs experienced many mixed feelings, especially for the seniors, as it was the last game they played.
“I’m grateful for the run that we went on, but I was also in a state of shock and sadness,” Soong said. “It was devastating and heartbreaking for the team, especially for us seniors because it was the last time we were all going to be playing on the court together and the last time we would be playing high school volleyball. It was just such an abrupt ending, especially because we thought we were going to win.”
Reflecting on their performance, Meier recalls several missed serves and issues with covering from the Tigers’ strong middle blockers. However, despite these errors, the entirety of the match proved to be a mental game for the team.
“I think as strong as our mindset was to work as a team, we fell apart as a team in terms of our mindset. When we go down, we’re very hard on ourselves, and it’s very hard for us to bounce back,” Meier said. “Seeing such close games and knowing that my girls fought a lot, I would say [one of the other team’s main strengths] was just their ability to turn [things] around quicker than we were able to.”
Shen also recognized from this game the crucial role that teamwork and self-confidence play in both a game and individual performance.
“I learned to always remember that it’s a team effort. Although in some games you may feel like it’s your fault; at the end of the day, it’s a team effort,” Shen said. “Even when you don’t believe in yourself and you feel like no one else believes in you, they really do. That’s why you’re on this team, why you’re playing on the court and why you have a spot. Just being confident and reminding yourself that you belong in this team really helps you be at your best.”
In spite of the loss, the game brought the school together in high spirits and pride, with support for the team at every point. Before the game began, the frosh and junior varsity volleyball teams came together to wish the varsity team good luck, performing a pre-game clap chant and forming a tunnel for the players. Loud cheers filled the gymnasium as each team scored points. On the bleachers, blue and yellow balloons representing Walnut’s colors were passed out by the Associated Student Body (ASB).
“We appreciated all the support from the stands and we thought the balloons from Mr. Schultz were very thoughtful,” Soong said. “Usually for our games, we don’t have a lot of people or [a big] student section, so to have all that spirit coming from the bleachers really helped us mentally.”
From reaching CIF-SS state finals to regional finals—the furthest Walnut’s volleyball program has ever gone—the Mustangs achieved significant milestones this season.
“I’m so proud of their fight as a team and the way that they came together and worked so hard for each other because you don’t really know what you’re up against with a new league,” Meier said. “We were told we weren’t going to do well in the league and that we were never going to make it to CIF. To have a historic season come from that, I just could not be more proud of the girls and all of their hard work.”
![Playing offense | Right wing senior Sharl Gonzalez attempts to pass the ball to his teammate, striker senior Oscar Feria (not pictured). “I trusted [Oscar] enough to pass him the ball, so I felt like if I got him the ball he would have been okay, and it would have helped the team,” Gonzalez said. “I felt disappointed in the result of the game, but I feel like as a team we tried our best.”](https://whshoofprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/soccer-1200x832.jpeg)
