Nichole Cavada
STAFF WRITER
The MoHS Girls Volleyball team has had a strong start to their season with three consecutive wins. “As much as anybody would like to deny it, the best part about competing is winning,” Head Coach Alan Cabanting said.
The team’s first win was against Henry J. Kaiser High School with a score of 24-26, 25-15, 15-11. Their success was followed by two more wins against Kailua High School with a score of 25-14, 25- 13, and Kaimuki High School with a score of 25-19, 25-13. Assistant Coach Austin Zavala explained that while the team is working hard on the court, they are also working to build their relationship and bond as a team.
“The girls are learning what it takes to be a team and they’re all working really hard to come together as one,” Assistant Coach Austin Zavala said.
“Even though most of the girls have been playing for a long time, they are learning that everyone has a role and they need to work to fulfill that role in order to be competitive,” Zavala said. In any team sport, communication is key, and in a sport like volleyball, it is important to communicate one’s actions on the court, like who is getting the ball. Because the players have been building their team relationship, the girls have been able to communicate with one another quickly and have strengthened their defense.
Cabanting elaborated on their success, saying that the team’s wins can be attributed to not only their deeper bond with one another, but their confident mindset as well. “I do think that attitude is a factor of winning. Traditional powerhouses like Kahuku, Kapolei, Mililani- you will always get intimidated by them. So, having the attitude of ‘We practiced hard and we’re gonna win’ certainly helped. And as we progressed through the years with that mindset, we became a powerhouse,” Cabanting explained. “Other schools are now coming into our gym and getting a little bit intimidated. Our attitude has definitely changed from ‘Can we win?’ to ‘Yes, we’re gonna win this’,” Cabanting said.