The fan section of the Ventura College gym was packed full of screaming students and families decked out in red, black and white face paint at the varsity girls’ volleyball team’s first CIF game on Tuesday night.

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The fan section of the Ventura College gym was packed full of screaming students and families decked out in red, black and white face paint at the varsity girls’ volleyball team’s first CIF game on Tuesday night. The Dragons defeated Grand Terrace High School 3-0 with individual set scores of 25-11, 25-20 and 25-10.

Sophomore Heather Ellison scored the first point of the match with an ace, giving Foothill a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Sabrina Almaraz felt that the Dragons had “a strong start” and were able to maintain the lead throughout the set. Foothill won the first set 25-10.

The second set began and the teams battled back and forth. After a short losing streak, the Dragons scored four consecutive points, boosting the team’s energy level and driving the score up to 16-10. The teams took turns scoring but the Dragons ultimately came out on top with a 25-20 win in the second set.

The teams broke their huddles and headed on to the court for the last set of the night. The Dragons scored first and ended their three-point streak with an ace. Later in the match, the ball rolled along the net, creating suspense for both teams. The ball eventually fell off the net and Foothill scored.

Sophomore Morgan Gallagher scored the last point of the match with a kill , a spike that is unable to be returned, after an eight-point winning streak. The Dragons won the last set 25-10, securing a spot in the second round of CIF.

During the match, Gallagher had eight kills, Ellison had seven kills and junior Kasie Spencer had ten digs, or the action of the player who first puts the ball over the net.

Varsity girls’ volleyball coach Chip Tarleton felt that the team played “very well.”

“They played like we [have] been practicing, like we [have] been playing the last few matches,” said Tarleton. “They’re fundamentally sound. They don’t get rattled. They’re very resilient.”

He believes that the team made a few mistakes but that during a volleyball match, “everybody is going to make a few errors.”

Fan and sophomore Lucie Esber thought that the team played “excellent” and is “proud” of the improvement the team has made since last season.

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Although the match was “really fun and exciting,” she felt that it was also very nerve-racking.

“It was really exciting and nerve-racking because every time the ball got past, you’re just like biting your nails,” Esber said. “You’re so nervous and hoping that you’ll get the point.”

Spencer believed that the team played “much better than a regular game” and that they “really wanted this win.” Gallagher and Spencer agree that the team’s ability to stick together helped the team in their success.

“We really listened to each other and like worked together. And we were like really scrappy too and we got a lot of good hits,” Spencer said.

Meanwhile, Tarleton felt that the fans were “unbelievable.”

“CIF told us that the average attendance at games like ours is 45 people. I know we had more than 45 people. That is the most intense high school reception and fan base that I’ve seen in a long time,” Tarleton said.

Fan and senior Michael Vaughan thought that it was “such a hype game.”

“It was so great for all the Foothill students to come out to support. It was super fun. Everyone was getting super into it. We’ve never had a Foothill Dragon game like that before,” Vaughan said.  

Spencer felt that having so many fans was “really cool.”

“It really boosts us up, boosts our energy and it actually helps us a lot. I’m really proud [because] compared to last year, we’ve grown so much and have gotten really close as a team,” she said.

Tarleton believes that the win “validates” what the team is trying to do.

The team will prepare for their next match in round two of the CIF Playoffs.

“[We are going to] remain calm. We are going to have a nice light practice, just like we have been doing, tomorrow. We are going to hope for a nice coin flip in the morning and get a home game,” Tarleton said. “We might be right back here at VC and we want to do it all over again.”

Foothill girls’ volleyball team defeats Grand Terrace in first round of CIF

Foothill girls’ volleyball team defeats Grand Terrace in first round of CIF

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Background Photo Credit: Grace Carey/The Foothill Dragon Press

Storify Credit: Kathryn Brandi/The Foothill Dragon Press