Excited fans from both schools came to cheer the girls on at the Sept. 26 volleyball match between Mills and the Lady Hawks of Holy Names University. The Cyclones gave it their all as they battled it out on the court, but in the end they lost to the Lady Hawks 0-3. Despite the loss, however, Mills Coach Daniel Rasay felt that his team put up a good fight.
“I think our team played well tonight,” Rasay said, “We have been playing a lot of good volleyball for a majority of the games, but when we reach a certain point, the other team pulls away.” Rasay also stated that he saw a lot of “fierceness” among his players during the game.
Freshwoman player Cristin Allen said, “I think we played well, but our mental toughness wasn’t all there. It wasn’t our best, but overall I think we played pretty well as a team.”
Although the match did not end favorably for the Cyclones, comprised of individual game scores of 16-30, 22-30 and 20-30, it had its share of exciting moments. The Cyclones managed to pull ahead a few times and remained neck and neck with Holy Names throughout the second match. At one point, a volleyball hit by a Mills player went soaring into stands, narrowly missing the heads of a few Cyclone spectators.
“Holy Names is, if not one of the best, the best team in the league,” said
sophomore and team co-captain Loke Davis. “Considering that, I think we played very well against them.”
Coach Rasay knows his team has the potential to improve for future games. “Every person on our team has the potential to be great, and I have seen greatness in each and every member of our team,” he said. “We just need to find a way to be
consistent with our greatness.”
Rasay is grateful and acknowledges the dedicated fans who come out to support the Mills volleyball team at each game. “Their presence is definitely known at our matches,” he said. “Their energy and enthusiasm adds to ours, and we just want to make sure to thank each and every one of our fans. After every home match, we make sure to give a yell for the crowd because they are a part of our team.”
