Lady Ravens Dig Deep

By Laura Fouquette

The score was tied 15-15 as junior Hannah Grobisen turned the tide with an ace. The crowd went wild and a dozen red pom-poms shot into the air. “Come on Ravens!” screamed many parents sporting red and black. After chasing Poway beat Canyon Crest in the first of three matches with a disappointing lead of five points, CCA’s Girls Varsity volleyball team made a comeback. Point by point, set by set, and kill by kill, the lady Ravens won their second match against Poway High School.

Earlier this season, Canyon Crest played their rival Poway and lost in four matches. The lady Ravens brought it again at their very special Halloween home game in our very own CCA gym. Festive Halloween music was played before the game, and the players wore superhero capes and other various Halloween costumes while warming up before the game. Even the coaches dressed up; Mr. Haas, the Varsity coach, rocked the Bill Nye look while Chris Miller, the JVB coach, was a convincing Captain Jack Sparrow. The Varsity assistant coach, JVA coach, and team manager were dressed as Teenage Ninja Turtles as they ran around the court helping out the team during warm ups.

After the second match, Canyon Crest and Poway were tied, each team with one match under their belt. After Poway won the first two points, sophomore outside hitter Jolie Rasmussen, a star member of the Varsity team since her freshman year, moved to the front row and had an incredible block, sending the volleyball to the ground and giving Canyon Crest its first point of the match. Senior Morgan Patterson kept it going with a great serve, and CCA took the lead once again. Poway’s side of the audience loudly chanted “Side out,” a volleyball term meaning Poway’s team needed to get the ball back on their side. CCA finished their third match strong and won with a final score of 25-16.

In order to win the entire game, however, one team had to win three out of five total matches. The fourth match was a back and forth between the rival teams at 19-19 until Poway gained a five-point lead and won the match. This left Canyon Crest and Poway tied once again, but one final match would settle it all. The fifth match had most of people in the stands out of their seats. The score was closer than ever before, and the players seemed to feed off of the crowd. Canyon Crest achieved victory by winning the fifth match with a score of 16-14.

Junior Caroline Lappe, an opposite hitter, says “It was a great game today. Poway is always great competition, but the crowd really helped us out.” Senior Cassidy Buchanan, a starting middle blocker, is happy with how she played and says “perseverance and energy got us through the game. We all trusted each other and played our absolute hardest to become victorious.” The Canyon Crest Academy Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team played an especially festive game today to be proud of.