GIRLS VOLLEYBALL WRAPS UP REGULAR SEASON

By Paradis Jolie Fejerang

The St. John’s Knights traveled to the home of the Harvest Eagles on Tuesday night, facing a tough matchup against their higher-ranked opponents as well as yet another one of their opponent’s senior nights. Harvest’s Family Life Center was enveloped with pink décor and high energy as the Harvest Eagles capped off their regular season with a momentous win in straight sets, 25–14, 25–12, 25–17.

The top eight teams march on to the quarterfinals this Friday night. Harvest secured the third-place slot and will host #6 JFK, while St. John’s limps into the playoffs in the 5th spot and will travel to Okkodo to face the #4 Bulldogs.

Despite the atmosphere against them, the Knights came in determined to challenge the Eagles’ dominance. In fact, for the duration of the match, the enthusiastic Harvest crowd only occasionally became a distraction – and more so for the home team.

Early in the first set, St. John’s middle blocker Amara Del Carmen worked hard at the net, but the power and precision behind Harvest’s sister duo Niesha and Keisha Chen proved difficult to contain. Still, an unfamiliar spark of aggression began to appear on the Knights’ side with bursts of domineering plays taking over every so often that hinted at the team’s potential.

The second set saw more of the same from Harvest, as the Eagles’ setter Manea Camacho stood out as a vital instrument behind her team’s success. Her steady communication and control of the court kept the Eagles organized and confident, allowing her hitters to continue applying pressure from all angles. All the while, the Knights fought to stay in rhythm as the set ended 25–12 in favor of Harvest.

By the third set, St. John’s brought back their spark, keeping the score closer and briefly holding a small lead at the start of the set. However, the Knights’ inconsistency and lack of hustle on extended plays allowed Harvest to regain control. 

Harvest senior Lydia Engelhardt gave the Eagles some extra excitement with several powerful spikes and although she was only briefly utilized between substitutions throughout the set she definitely made an impact for the team morale for the Eagles to pull ahead and close out the set at 25–17.

The two teams were set apart by confidence. St. John’s showed glimpses of near perfection, but hesitation and self-doubt held them back. For Harvest, it was a night to celebrate both their seniors and their season’s success as a top-ranked team thus far. 

Even in defeat, Jia Peters remained a standout for the Knights. Her killer spikes and composure kept St. John’s in contention throughout the night, earning her recognition as one of the match’s top performers despite the loss.

Player of the Game Niesha Chen reflected on the win and the atmosphere of her final regular season home match. “I feel great! I’m so thankful to my school and everyone who showed up to show support for us.”

“We’ve just been working extra hard, especially with playoffs coming up,” she says as playoffs are to begin this Friday and the Eagles plan on keeping their focus on effort and unity. “We’re trying to establish chemistry…hustl[e] to every ball.”

Chen also shared her shared goals with the Harvest team: “We’re obviously trying to make it to the championship, but ultimately we just want to…give everything we’ve got.”

TUESDAY GAMES

Harvest def. St. John’s 25-14, 25-12, 25-17
Tiyan def. GACS 25-16, 25-14, 14-25, 25-21
Academy def. GAA 25-17, 25-10, 25-14
Okkodo def. Southern 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-18
GW def. St. Paul 25-17, 25-18, 25-9
Sanchez def. Guam High (forfeit due to federal shutdown)
JFK def. Notre Dame 25-18, 25-23, 25-20

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY: