The Mills College volleyball team added another loss after their match against William Jessup University on Oct. 3. Despite the loss, the enthusiasm and support on the court remained high between athletes.
“The game was super intense!” said sophomore Pernian Faheem. “I loved the energy.”
Sophomore Michelle Arauz, ASMC Accountant, whom had never been to a Mills volleyball match said, “They did a really great job.”
During the first set, the only voices to be heard in the gym were from the athletes on the court. A silent crowed appeared in smaller numbers than in recent games, which did not seem to dwindle the Mills team spirit.
Picking up momentum in the second set, senior Isidora “Dora” Jimenez created the first commotion in the crowd. Down 11-22, Jimenez and her teammates raised the score to 18-23 with consecutive service points.
“It was really exciting. It kept me on my toes,” said senior Rachel Dorney, a member of the soccer team.
When the ball dropped on the home team’s side, the crowed roared in disbelief that the good luck streak was over.
Immediately gaining a side-out and a point, Mills lost the service ball as soon as they had gotten their side-out. For the next few minutes of the game, the teams battled consecutive service rallies back and forth, resulting in a score of 20-24, with Mills in the opposition.
Senior Cristin Allen was the last to serve in the second set, but not after raising the score to 22-24 before William Jessup slammed a hard spike to the center of Mills’ court, resulting in the second set loss for Mills.
“The team members are starting to get used to each other. They are all coming together,” said junior Chloe Garcia, also a soccer player.
In the third set of the game, senior Alissa Chasten and sophomore Kirstyne Lange proved their team skills by shutting out several spikes from their opponents. The pair blocked various score attempts by William Jessup.
“Blocking is the best thing in the world. It gives me a great feeling — an adrenaline rush. It makes me feel like a bear!” said Chasten.
The third set ended somewhat quicker than the previous two and resulted in a final score of 21-25.
Assistant coach for the William Jessup team, Leah Klemenhagen said, “Our team decided already that Mills gave a good fight tonight. We are impressed.”
Mills Head Coach Susan Forbes said, “We definitely competed tonight. We believed in each other first and foremost. As a coach you don’t want to see your team peak at the end of the season, not the beginning.”
