Despite the Brahmas’ attempt to keep up with Compton, the Pierce College women’s volleyball team could not get ahead of the opposing team, causing them to lose 3-1 in a home game on Sept. 11.
The Brahmas started the first set with a win, but ultimately were not able to keep the winning going for the following three sets (16-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-18).
An issue that seemed to hurt the Brahmas in this game was communication.
Libero Adriana Luna explained she thinks feelings got in the way.
“I felt like we definitely could have persevered to a better extent,” Luna said. “Unfortunately we are going through some mental blockages that I think we need to push through.”
Middle Blocker Kandace Bowens said the team struggled to push past mistakes, but they can be unstoppable once they get the hang of it.
“Our biggest enemies are ourselves, once we get rid of those demons we are going to be monsters, I know it,” Bowens said.
In the second set, Brahmas began to falter in their communication while trying to take the win, falling behind Compton by five points and leaving the second set at 25-20.
Assistant coach Farzid Ramin said he felt as if there needed to be more progress with the team working together, but ultimately everyone is just trying to see what works best for the team.
“We have to work more on chemistry, mentally we have to be stronger,” Ramin said. “We are seeing the progress on the team. We are getting better, of course. We had a win last week and this week was different strategies, we are using new players and dealing with injuries.”
During the third and fourth set, Pierce wasn’t able to keep up with all the kills that Compton was throwing their way, ultimately losing both sets at 25-18.
Middle Blocker Viola Laufer explained that there were some missed opportunities.
“I think what was really hurting us today was us making errors,” Laufer continued. “Like we gave them over 15 points I think on just missed serves.”
The team made 12 serve errors against Compton. Despite the mistakes made during the game, the team frequently high fived and shouted encouraging words to each other.
Luna expressed the support and love the team has for each other, emphasizing the positivity the team carries when it comes to growth.
“We always come through for each other,” Luna said. “If someone else is growing, the team is growing.”
The Brahmas will be playing off campus this week. The next home game will be against Antelope Valley at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25.