Despite being four girls down and one player short on the court for a time, the Malibu High School girls volleyball team kept diving, serving and spiking during their Thursday, Oct. 9, home loss to Grace Brethren High School.
Sharks’ coach Airess Padda expects her squad to continue to play with that determination in the six remaining regular season games.
“Nothing is going to be easy for us,” she said. “All you can ask for as a coach is for your team to work hard, and I think they did that.”
During the hard-fought 3-2 loss to the Lancers, the Sharks lost four players to various injuries and at one point in the five-set match had to play with five players against Grace Brethren’s six, the standard amount of players allowed on the volleyball court for each team.
“We had some major girls who were out that we rely on,” said Padda. “Two of my liberos were playing middle-front. You can only do so much. For six girls that were playing for almost over two hours, it’s a lot. They got exhausted.”
The loss to regional opponent Grace Brethren was tough. After winning the first two sets, the Sharks lost the last three.
Throughout the match an injury bug continuously bit the Sharks, leading to injuries of Natalie Aldrich (ankle), Ara Bolander (ankle), Ellery Smoller (concussion) and Haiden Bohm (knee). So with Grace Brethren leading 18-8, the Sharks had to play one player down in third match before the Lancers won 22-10.
“We had to play with five even going into the fourth game,” Padda said. “Haiden came back and tried to do what she could do.”
That led to a “first to 15” fifth match. After a 3-0 start, Grace Brethren gradually increased the lead to 8-2, 11-4 and 12-6 before completing the race to 15.
Padda said the Sharks fought hard.
“We got put in possibly the worst position you could ever be in,” she said. “No subs. When your body gets fatigued at this age and this level it’s hard because they have never been in a situation like this.”
The highs and lows of the contest parallel the Sharks’ season so far. Padda described it as a “roller coaster,” which has featured peaks such as outlasting such schools as Bishop Diego, Channel Islands, Fillmore, Foothill Tech, Pacifica and Santa Clara, and winning the Lady Cardinal Tournament at Santa Paula High School in September, and valleys such as the three-game skid they were on heading into their Oct. 14 game at Nordoff High School, and Oct. 16 home match-up against Villanova High Prep.
Villanova narrowly beat Malibu in a five-set match on Sept. 23. Nordoff defeated the Sharks 3-1 five days earlier.
Malibu’s last win was a 3-1 victory over Bishop Diego High School on Sept. 25.
Another high this season has been the play of Hunter Bohm.
“She has been so solid,” she said. “In our passing, in our defense…she handles pressure, and I haven’t seen her give-up during a game. She has been really consistent.”
Padda said Chelsea Bostwick is another player the Sharks lean heavily on.
“She takes a lot of swings,” she said. “She does a lot for this team, but I am super proud of her.”
Padda said the Sharks have a good lineup and are prepared for the rest of the season.
“Now they know what playing to their max potential feels like,” she said. “They have to keep that up the whole season whether it is six girls on the team or twelve. The intensity they showed tonight needs to carry on.