The City College women’s volleyball team played a home game against the Palomar College Comets Oct. 12, gaining a victory in the set with a final score of 3-2.
“I thought it was incredible. The girls fought. Some teams get tentative when the game is close, they get jitters. We had jitters on and off, but they played through it and that’s what is so important, and I thought they played a fantastic match,” said Dede Bodnar, women’s volleyball head coach.
The game began with the score toggling between teams. Halfway through the first period, Palomar had a lead which grew until the end of the first game. By the time the first break was called, Palomar won the game with a score of 25-16.
The beginning of the second period was a game changer. City came back from their initial defeat and the score toggled between each team by only one point. Several times they were tied, and at that point both teams were making constant dives for the ball. One of the more zealous players was Elemy Yeme.
“She was digging everything, and when she makes those great dynamic plays it gets her back in the game,” Bodnar said. She also considered Tessa Butterfield (captain) and setter Jaclyn Kreymborg as key players during the overall match.
Halftime was called with both teams holding on to a game, with City having won the second period 25-23. The Knights managed to get ahead of the game by throwing strong serves.
The Comets, however, gained more momentum when the score reached a 20-20 tie. Eventually, the teams moved towards the net with a series of blocks, until Palomar got the point, and that’s when things heated up.
Both teams fought hard at the end of the third period, and was probably the best part of the game. The Knights’ defense (or diggers) had to throw out some powerful hits across the net, which the Comets returned with an equal amount of force. Following that, the final score for the third game was 25-21, with City now in the lead.
“I think that we’re a really defensive team and we play really well. I think that offensively, they did a great job, but it’s defense that turned those points around and that kept us the lead in the three games,” Bodnar said.
Palomar took back the game in the fourth period. City tried to keep up, even making the game a close call, but technical mishaps cost them in the end. The diggers tried to pull themselves back into the lead at 16-25, but by the time the whistle blew, Palomar kept that score.
The issue throughout the game was communication, as stated by Bodnar.
“If I can get them to talk, with everything that they’re doing skill-wise, we will be unstoppable, and I truly believe that. But that’s our weakness right now, the talking.”
The game was now in its final period, and the teams had an equal chance of stealing the victory for the match. City instantly took the lead with a score of 10-3 before the other team started to catch up. Several kills were made on both sides, but the excitement built up when the team was tied again, causing players from both sides to make a series of dives to keep the ball from hitting the ground.
The game ended in the Knights’ favor, finishing off with a win in the fifth period. The women’s volleyball team took another victory in the league.
