EAGLES PULL OFF SEMIFINALS WIN OVER COUGARS

By Charlotte Oh

The third-seeded Harvest Eagles pulled off an upset over the second-seeded Academy Cougars, earning a spot in the girls volleyball championship finals. During the regular season, Academy handed Harvest one of its two losses, but this time, the Eagles got their revenge with a decisive sweep 26-24, 25-19, 25-18 Tuesday night at Academy’s home gym.

The Eagles now have a chance to claim the title in the finals against the undefeated GW Geckos on Thursday at 7 pm. The Geckos swept the St. John’s Knights in the other semifinals. Academy will take on the St. John’s Knights for 3rd place at 5:30. 

Standout players on the Harvest side included outside hitters Juliet Ambrose and Niesha Chen, with seven kills each. Erica Cassidy, who recently switched from outside hitter to libero, proved vital to the team’s success. 

Reflecting on the redemption win, Cassidy expressed, “It feels great to have such a comeback from the last game.”

The Cougars started strong with confident swings, but the Eagles countered their attacks with steady play and tight defense. The two teams seemed to be dealing with playoff nerves, as the game was plagued with serves that fell short or out of bounds. Early on in the set, Eagle’s powerhouse middle Prue Palisoc faced an injury and was forced to sit out the rest of the game. However, the Eagles didn’t let this setback faze them. With impressive teamwork and court coverage, they continued gaining points to take a 15-9 lead. 

The momentum of this first set took a turn when Cougar Lea Aromin started serving. A couple of back-to-back aces spiked the morale and reignited the energy of her team. Libero Alessandra Leon Guerrero was everywhere on defense while hitters Landen DeVera and Carmen Eugenia led a powerful offense for Academy. 

The Academy gym was packed with passionate spectators on both sides, cheering for each and every point. Both teams traded bursts of spirit in an attempt to take control of the game which eventually led to a 24-24 tie. After a hard fought battle and long rallies, the Eagles capitalized on Cougar errors and took the crucial first set, 26-24. 

Cassidy credited the hard first set win to their mental toughness and teamwork, “Definitely, we just have to get mentally through it and just work together as a team and get through all the mistakes, because one point doesn’t make the whole game.”

The intensity carried into the second set, with both teams displaying more energy and determination. Eagle setter Manea Camacho showed intelligent court awareness and precise setting, allowing her hitters to shine. Specifically, Ambrose and Keisha Chen swung aggressively, finding sharp angles to keep Harvest ahead. 

On the other side of the net, Aromin jumped up for bullet line shots to keep the Cougars in the game. She ended the night with a game-high of 10 kills. Despite her valiant effort, the Eagles fought for every point, led by Cassidy’s clean passes and relentless digs. Harvest took the second set 25-19. 

Ambrose emphasized how vital their teamwork was during the game, “Just hyping each other up, and really communicating through it.”

In the third and what would be the final set, the Eagles carried their momentum home. Ambrose kept up her hard hitting while Niesha Chen added three aces in a row to boost the momentum of the team. The Cougars gave a hard fight, but couldn’t match the Eagles consistency and precision. Taking the last set 25-18 in a similar fashion as the second, the Eagles sealed their spot in the championship. 

Looking toward the title game on Thursday, Cassidy shared her team’s mindset, “Just to work as a team and show them who we are and how we play.” Ambrose kept it simple, “Play to win.”

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