Rams Shut Down in 3-0 Loss Against De Anza at City College
By David Chin
On Wednesday, Oct. 6, the Rams volleyball team lost in a match lasting three sets against De Anza College. The game’s final score was 25-12, 25-20, 25-12, each of which went in favor of De Anza.
The Rams are now in the middle of their season with 12 games to go out of a 22 game season. Their win-loss record is currently 1-8, going 1-5 at home, 0-2 on the road, and winless in their one match on neutral grounds. Their game against Hartnell, originally scheduled for early September, has been postponed to an undisclosed date.
With just a single win thus far, it may be easy to see the shortcomings of this team, but the focuses of the players and coaches lie elsewhere. Though disappointed from losses, they consider themselves a successful team by virtue of going to every practice and game and giving their best efforts.
YMCA physical education director
invented volleyball in 1895.
Mhakela Inguillo of the team said, “After any loss, we always bounce back and get even better every single day. Our team is very competitive, and we show that with the amount of effort we give hitting the ground for every ball.”
Head Coach Saga Vae said, “Every day, we are working on ball control. We have a team of seven, and [the] majority of them are new to the game. So I try [to] just focus on [the] basics of ball handling, positional skills, and rules of the sport.”
With just over half the season left, it remains to be seen whether or not this team can bounce back from its statistical shortcomings. However, one thing is for certain—these girls have each other’s backs, and it’s one of their greatest strengths that they can rely on.
“The greatest strength this team has shown is the urgency of wanting to get better and learn more. They will get frustrated because they cannot keep up with a lot of teams, but when they figure things out, we will be competitive in their matches,” Vae said.
“The great strengths [are] that we are open to helping our own teammates, have great communication, play hard, work hard, [and] always beat the odds,” said Inguillo. “We trust each other a lot on the court to get the job done.”
As they prepare for the rest of their season, they continue to work on improving their performance regardless of record. They go into preparation with competition, teamwork, and fun in their hearts.
Inguillo stated, “As a player, we all have to remember that it is a privilege to be able to play the sport we love and continue to play it in college if we are given the opportunity. We’re there for each other when one of our teammates is having a bad game or practice, but we pick them up and play for each other no matter what.”
Looking ahead with optimism and thankfulness, Vae said, “It’s truly an honor to be back on campus, and [I] would like to thank our department chairperson, athletic directors, and staff for working hard to get our teams back in competition.”