Girls’ varsity volleyball just keeps winning. Burlingame (9-3, 2-0 Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division) extended their winning streak to seven games after beating Hillsdale High School (5-7 overall, 1-1 PAL) in three straight sets during their league matchup on Tuesday, Sept. 12. 

The Panthers pounced early in the first set, eventually winning 25-11, behind strong team play and blocks from a multitude of players, including sophomore defensive specialist Samantha Hollrah. They never let go of the momentum, controlling play throughout the match, claiming the second and third sets by a score of 25-14 and 25-17, respectively. 

Leading the team’s offense was junior Ella Duong. She claimed point after point in the opening set with numerous hits that overwhelmed Hillsdale. Doung was awarded Daily Journal Athlete of the Week honors for her play so far this season. But she didn’t do it alone against the Knights, attributing her success to improved communication between the players on the team.

“I think I connected really well with my setters tonight. I think we’re really building a connection, and [also with] the offense,” Duong said.

Beating Hillsdale was an especially notable achievement for the team, considering they’ve been a tougher matchup for Burlingame over the last few years. 

“I think we all had an incentive to try and win this one because we have lost all our prior away games at Hillsdale,” junior middle-hitter Sophia Geminder said. “So we were competitive, and I think we carried that throughout the game.”

Although games have been relocated to other schools due to gym reconstruction, the team did not feel as if they were exploring foreign territory – in fact, they’ve embraced the road atmosphere.

“I don’t think it affected our gameplay at all. I mean, obviously we miss our home audience, but I don’t think it really has an impact on how we play,” Geminder said.

Winning doesn’t just mean executing strategy and tactics for the team. Having fun and feeling comfortable is what drove them to success, according to Duong.

“I think we’re just having more fun tonight. I think when we have more fun, we play at our best and I think that’s just something we need to continue to grow on,” Duong said.

The Panther’s hardwork in practice, especially on specific in-game strategy, has fueled their winning streak. One such strategy that has provided successful is keeping three hitters in the front row during each set.

“I think that helped [so] that we could spread our offense out,” head coach Hannah Korslund said. “And so Hillsdale’s block wasn’t able to form fully on all of our hitters.”

With a strong start to the season, Korslund hopes to continue working on effective strategies and maintaining positive energy when competing against tougher opponents.

“Overall, I’m definitely very proud of how we came in. I think our attitude was really great,” Korslund said. “The team came in knowing they wanted to set the tone and the pace of the game and take charge early. And I think we did exactly that.”