Women’s Volleyball Dominates Against Centennial

One final game// Smiling for the photo, the Coronado women's volleyball seniors were celebrated before beginning their match. These 10 seniors make up the majority of this team's success and play a key role in their wins this season. (Photo Courtesy of Phynix Hall-Faatuai)

On Thursday, October 22nd, the Coronado Cougars women's volleyball team played the Centennial Bulldogs as their final game of the regular season. Although Centennial is a non-conference team, this was a monumental ending to the season. It was also senior night, marking the end of an era for many players on this team, giving them one more opportunity at home to play for this program. 

The Cougars dominated in straight sets with scores of 27-25, 25-18, and 25-23. Senior outside hitter Phynix Hall-Faatuai started the match, sharing with us how she felt about it being her last game as a Cougar.

 “Knowing it was my last game was sad because I have made so many great memories in this gym, but the season isn't over until state is,” Phynix shared. “We’ll keep practicing and playing until we lose or make it all the way, but I know it is not over yet.”

Last time these teams matched up, Centennial barely scraped a win over the Cougars. This game was at the beginning of the season, leaving lots of time for Nado to get back into the gym and work harder to prepare for this next game. 

“Going into this final game against Centennial, we knew that we had to fight a lot harder for this win by riding and thriving off our own momentum. The general team consensus was to stay mentally present and be prepared to fight, not just play,” Phynix described. “The previous loss  doesn't define our future outcomes, so we used this as a chance to finish what we started, so we came in with a lot more passion and hunger.”

This match brought many unexpected plays and amazing saves to keep the rallies going. These girls demonstrated high levels of athleticism, truly leaving everything on the court for this final home game of the season.

“There were a lot of funny, crazy plays, but I’d like to highlight the massive dig that I got against their tall middle because that was fun; pretty much the entire first set was fun for me because it was so competitive,” Phynix explained. “I played the type of volleyball I wanted, volleyball that’s alive, ups and downs, crazy energy for no rhyme or reason! I love simply earning the win because we fought for it, especially when the opponent steps up, then we get to step up in return.”

Third overall in league play and fourth in the state of Nevada, our women's volleyball team has had a remarkable season. Catch them again on Monday at Palo Verde for the quarterfinal match as the road to state begins!