Girls Varsity Volleyball Senior Night Ends With Win Over Pearl City High School

Trey Yamamoto, Reporter

    On Sept. 25, the MHS girls varsity volleyball team played their senior night game against Pearl City High School — their last home game of the season. The seniors were honored and recognized for their accomplishments and time playing the sport. The team won all three of their sets with scores of 25-10, 25-11 and 25-17. 

     “I think we are all ready to move forward and Senior Night is a great way to say thank you to everyone in our lives who has supported us so far,” said middle blocker Senior Emma Berry. 

     Communication and camaraderie played a critical role in the team’s success. This allowed the players to be responsive to each other’s strengths and needs. “I think the team worked together by always communicate(ing) with each other (and) always letting each other know what they think will help improve the teams playing. We also work together by keeping each other in the same headspace, for example, if someone is messing up then each player will say something encouraging to bring back good vibes,” said setter Senior Nicole Kimura. Defensive specialist Senior Noa Torio added, “Our team worked really well together because we were all on the same page. Everyone was excited to play in front of a huge crowd, especially for the seniors who had friends and family come to support.”

     Aside from it being the last home game of the season, Senior Night has allowed for the players to reminisce and think back on their earlier years playing volleyball. These memories helped them to recognize how they’ve grown and improved as a player. “As an individual, I definitely became more confident than I was before. At times — and I’m sure this applies to other athletes —  it’s hard to realize your full potential and know that you are capable of more than you think,” said Torio. Kimura added, “What I think I improved on individually since my first year playing volleyball is my abilities and techniques such as ball handling and being able to push my sets as far as needed. What I improved on with working on a team since my first year playing volleyball is learning to rely on others and not just myself to get the job done. Having to communicate so everyone is on the same page and being aggressive knowing my teammates and coaches are counting on me.”

     As for the rest of the season, there will be two more regular season games before the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) playoffs. MHS is currently leading the OIA West with an overall standing of 8-0. “We have a long rest of the season ahead of us, so I want to make sure that we end on a high note and that we have an amazing final season together,” said Torio. Kimura added, “With playoffs coming up, we will practice for these upcoming games with practice everyday, with higher intensity, more communication and a lot more focus so we can better prepare for any team we may face.” 

     The girls volleyball team’s next game will be against Campbell on Monday, Sept. 30 at Campbell High school.