Girls’ varsity volleyball successfully extended their winning streak to five games in a tight 3-1 victory over Carlmont High School on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Burlingame (16-4 overall, 9-1 Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division), narrowly claimed the first set 25-22 but dropped the second set 22-25. The Panthers didn’t flinch, however, finishing the game strong with 25-20 and 25-17 victories in the third and fourth sets to clinch the win.
Numerous strong hits from senior outside hitter Morgan Toomey, alongside junior middle hitter Abbi Aufhauser and junior Ella Duong, drove the team to their win. Senior libero Hayley Fligel and senior Maddie Langlinais excelled in defense during the game, stealing valuable points from the Scots.
In preparation for the season, the Panthers emphasized communication, which they have displayed all year. According to senior middle hitter Chiara Simonetti, the squad’s teamwork has been their greatest strength, and that was especially evident against Carlmont.
“I thought the game went well, you could see the team work well together on and off the court and maintained high energy helping keep our stamina up during the game,” Simonetti said.
For a Burlingame team that is used to sweeping teams easily, the Scots posed a tougher challenge, forcing four sets. But the Panthers rose to the occasion and fought throughout the contest, head coach Hannah Korslund said.
“I think overall we showed a lot of mental toughness and resilience adjusting to Carlmont. And it was one of those games that I’m glad we made it down to four sets,” Korslund said.
Not only were the Panthers battling against Carlmont, they also found themselves playing against the referees. According to Korslund, multiple controversial calls resulted in points for the Scots.
“I think we worked hard for a lot of points, and there was a lot of adversity coming from [poor calls from the referees] and other things happening,” Korslund said. “And so I think our players showed a lot of composure and maturity in sets three and four, to finish it out.”
Although Burlingame triumphed on Tuesday, Korslund acknowledges the squad has plenty to work on, including spreading the offense out and moving the ball around the court more.
Senior night will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at Aragon High School as the league season comes to a close. Afterward, the team will compete in the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament starting Oct. 28.
“I’m looking forward to senior night, although it’s a bummer it’s not at our home gym. I’m grateful for the coaches and team parents making it happen under the difficult circumstances,” Simonetti said.
Korslund hopes to have another rematch against the first-place, undefeated Menlo-Atherton High School, who handed the Panthers their only league defeat this season. Beating the Bears could force Menlo-Atherton to share the league title with Burlingame.
Whatever happens, Korslund is confident the Panthers’ technical and tactical development will serve them well come playoff time.
“I think overall I’m the proudest of our serving pass. We’ve gotten a lot better at it this season. And it’s gone from kind of inconsistent to very, very consistent,” Korslund said. “And the stats back that up, and passing better will help us run our offense smoother. So that’s kind of the fundamentals that we’ve really nailed down this fall.”
