After years of traveling for every match and playing without a home court, the girls’ volleyball team kicked off the thousands of games to come in the new gym on Tuesday, Oct. 7, winning 3-0 against Sequoia High School.

After losing their first league game 3-2 in a five-set match to Sequoia on Sept. 11, the Panthers earned redemption in Tuesday’s match. According to sophomore setter Elaina Newman, their victory gave the team new confidence heading into the rest of the season.

“This sets a really good tone for the home season, bringing confidence, because we lost to Sequoia last time we played them, and we have a tough schedule these next few days, so I think it will give us confidence,” sophomore setter Elaina Newman said.

Entering the second half of league play, their victory marked a potential turnaround for the Panthers’ season. According to head coach Hannah Korslund, the team underwent an unexpected rebuild after last season, but is ready to use this game as motivation.

“We had a lot of motivation, a lot of desire to come out and play really tough,” Korslund said. “And I think that’s exactly what we did. I think they played great. I’m really proud, really happy, and excited to build the momentum.”

The team played three strong sets against the Ravens, maintaining a consistent lead and dominating force throughout. For Newman, the game showcased the team’s strengths and goals for the season.

“There was a ton of energy, and I feel like we played pretty calm and collected. I think it was a good show of everyone all around,” Newman said. “… I think it was like a good showing, for being home, there’s a lot of nerves, and I think we handled that really well.”

According to Newman and junior outside hitter Jordan Toomey, who had a 16-kill game, the team has been focusing on keeping its energy up throughout matches, a skill it executed well during Tuesday’s game.

“I would say our losses in the beginning have really changed our idea of energy and our teamwork,” Toomey said. “And now that we’ve tried to improve it, and we have improved it, I feel like it’ll be so much better.”

Despite a few losses early on in the season, Toomey said this game was a turning point for the team to gain more confidence.

“I feel like [this win] will raise our confidence a lot, and I feel like it’ll just be a good setup for all of our home games to come,” Toomey said.

During practice, the team keeps a running list of their opponents, crossing off each team after a match. Korslund said crossing off Sequoia will boost momentum for the games to come and help them focus on one game at a time.

“We’ve definitely been talking about taking games one at a time. Our record is not quite where we want it to be right now, but the only way that we’re going to fix that is going one game at a time, taking wins where we can get them,” Korslund said.

Korslund said this game was especially special for her as it was her first time coaching a varsity home game in her four years at Burlingame. Similarly, Tuesday’s game was also the first home game for many players.

“It felt great. [The players] were smiling so big just seeing fans come in all red, and the energy was great,” Korslund said. “I think I kind of got some chills. I haven’t coached a varsity game in the home gym ever, so it was a lot of fun for me, and it was a lot of fun getting to see even now they get to hang out with their friends after the game. I think that advantage for the rest of the season is going to be huge for us, getting to be home.”