The UHS Girls volleyball team scored their first win against Irvine High on Thursday, Sep. 15, with a final score of 3-1. 

Going into this game, the team thought the match would be an easy win; however, Irvine won the first set, which stunned the team and the crowd. This forced the UHS team to fight back more robustly in the later sets. 

“We expected to win against them so that didn’t come as much of a shock,” senior captain Katrina Soto said. “What did come as a shock was their fight and persistence throughout the game which influenced us to work harder.” 

Soto explains that the team’s and coach’s intention was to win this game without having any challenges. Even though this game had a change of direction after the first set, the UHS team was able to finish this game stronger than they started. 

Senior Allison Rodriguez highlights Soto’s impact throughout this game, with her continuous spikes allowing the team to win the next three sets.  

“Katrina Soto had a great game,” Rodriguez said. “She definitely carries a lot of weight offensively and never lets us down. This game particularly she had some crazy kills that hyped us up and left Irvine’s crowd speechless.” 

After the game, the team collectively discussed their performances, hoping that through these discussions, they will be able to strengthen their advantage and improve upon their weaknesses in the future. 

“I think our team got off to a slow start, but then we found our rhythm,” senior Scarlett Purser said. “Then we worked together as a team and we were able to come back and win.”

In addition to analyzing how the team played as a whole, players reflected upon their own performances. 

“I played all right [in] this game,” junior Daphne Santos said. “I wish I was more confident in my decisions during the game. Sometimes I second guess myself and that doesn’t do me or my team any good.” 

Despite the temporary deficit the Trojans fell into in the first set, they ultimately rallied back strong and Coach Michael Sofley was proud of the team’s determination and unwillingness to give up.  

“Our coach was proud of the way we didn’t give up and fought our way back into the game after losing the first set,” Purser said. “The game was definitely a learning opportunity and a chance for us to grow as a team.” 

Even though the players were not fully satisfied with their performances, they gained lessons to bring into future games. The girls varsity team will be facing Portola, Sage Hill, Beckman, and Laguna Hills in their upcoming home games.