Girls volleyball defeated by Los Alamitos on Senior Night

by Agnes Chang, Staff Writer, and Michelle Nhi Nguyen, Staff Writer/Photographer

Girls varsity volleyball demonstrates strong defense on the court against Los Al. Photo by Michelle Nhi Nguyen

The Lady Barons volleyball team faced the Los Alamitos Griffins in their last home game of the 2015 season.

Both teams played hard, but the girls ultimately lost 0-3, with the individual scores being 17-25, 16-25, and 16-25.

Los Al had several star players who kept the level of intensity high with their hard-driven hits and strong blocking, keeping the Lady Barons on their toes for all three sets.

Nevertheless, the girls never failed in maintaining their high spirits both on and off the court, as was evident with their consistency and endurance. Their strong performance was assisted by the solid serve receive of libero Alex Brooks (‘18) and fierce kills earned by outside hitter Erin Finley (‘17).

The enthusiastic Loud Crowd, consisting of Fountain Valley’s spirited students, also added to the positive atmosphere, giving much love and support for the players while dressed in all white for the White Out game.

Loud Crowd shows their support for girls volleyball during the White Out game. Photo by Michelle Nhi Nguyen

“The last four years have been an amazing experience and I’m sad to see it come to an end. Through the years I’ve made so many friends and memories that I’ll cherish forever,” said Thatsanaphonh (‘16). “We didn’t make it out on top but we sure fought hard. I love my team and [am] so grateful I had the chance to play with…them.”

This game not only marked the end of the girls volleyball season but also commemorated the team’s three senior players for Senior Night. Setter Brennan Cuttrell (‘16), opposite hitter Ashley Knipe (‘16), and outside hitter Maya Thatsanaphonh (‘16) were escorted across the court by family members as they were presented to the crowd and applauded for their high school volleyball career.

 

Girls volleyball dominated by Huntington Beach Oilers

by Agnes Chang, staff writer, and Michelle Nhi Nguyen, staff writer and photographer  

The Lady Barons line up after warm ups, waiting for the game to begin. Photo by Michelle Nhi Nguyen

The Lady Barons battled hard against Huntington Beach, but ultimately suffered a loss against the Oilers.

Although both teams played hard, the Barons fell behind and eventually lost with an overall score of 0-3, with scores of 16-25, 14-25 and 12-25.

The girls played strong offense in all three sets, with several kills from outside hitter Erin Finley (‘17) and middle blocker Kennedy Hood (‘17), as well as with powerful serves from opposite hitter Amy Hinnant (‘17). However, they fell short with their multiple hitting errors which gave the Oilers the advantage.

Kara Winthrop (’17) receives a tough serve from the Oilers. Photo by Michelle Nhi Nguyen

“We started off strong and…tried our hardest, but in the end we weren’t ready to face the Oilers,” said Britney Tran (‘17).

The Barons are working hard  to improve and are continuing to practice for their ongoing season every weekday.

“This loss is just a way for us to learn from our mistakes and improve for future games. We’re training even harder for the next game to make sure we come back as an even stronger team. Hopefully we’ll be able to make CIF playoffs and win.” Tran adds.

 

Lady Barons triumph over Marina Vikings 3-2

by Agnes Chang, Staff Writer, and Michelle Nhi Nguyen, Staff Writer/Photographer

Middle blocker Rilyn Todd (’17) reaches high over the double block and earns a kill for the Barons. Photo by Michelle Nhi Nguyen

Girls varsity volleyball won against Marina with a score of 3-2 at their cancer awareness game which successfully raised $915 for the McKenna Claire Foundation.

The McKenna Claire Foundation is an organization that aims to cure pediatric brain cancer by raising awareness, increasing community involvement and funding research.The players wore specially-made jerseys for the night and were joined by the enthusiastic loud crowd who wore pink to support the cause.

The girls had a shaky start and gave the first set victory to Marina, who was led offensively by front-row players #2 and #13.

However, the Barons were able to pull through with their consistent serving, wall-like defense and high spirits, ending the neck-and-neck match with overall scores of 23-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-17 and 15-5.

“There was a lot of encouragement [on the court]. Even when they lost a point, they were still able to shake it off,”  said spectator Phiona Reilly (‘19).

The Barons were led in the offensive by right-side hitter Amy Hinnant (‘17) and middle blocker Kennedy Hood (‘17) with several kills, as well as by libero Britney Tran (‘17) with her consistent digs and serves throughout the game.

The girls huddle together for a time out in their specially-made pink jerseys. Photo by Michelle Nhi Nguyen

“They were very effective in blocking and attacking. Especially at the end of the match, our defense really picked up and that’s what helped us finish strong,” Assistant Coach Grant Metheny said. “There were some lulls, but the high points were really high and they finished strong.”

The girls practice every weekday from 3-5 PM after school and are working hard to improve their communication and synchronization on the court for the rest of the season.

“We’re pretty much just practicing by passing and shuffling. [We practice] a lot of hitting into the corner, rather than into the middle of the court so that way it’s harder for teams to get the ball,” middle blocker Rilyn Todd (‘17) says.

 

Link to original article: http://www.baronnews.com/2015/10/17/lady-barons-triumph-over-marina-vikings-3-2/