By Justin HAGER

The Crescenta Valley High School varsity girls’ volleyball team entered Monday night’s match against Taft with a chip on their shoulder. After two heartbreaking losses last week, including a nail biting five-set loss to Agoura on Thursday that went late into the night, these Falcons were ready to win. More fuel was added to the mix in the form of friendly competitiveness after their sisters from the freshman/sophomore team took home first place at the annual Burbank freshman/sophomore tournament over the weekend.

CV started hot on Monday, taking the first two sets 25-22 and 25-13, making a win seem all but inevitable. But Taft rallied in the third set, narrowly defeating the Falcons 25-23. In set No. 4 there was outstanding defense on both sides of the court, including a textbook double block by the Falcon front line senior duo of McKenna Keil and Ashley Lineses, which kept the two teams neck-and-neck through the first 36 points (18:18). That’s when CVHS senior libero Sofia Morris stepped up to serve.

With a powerful serve from Morris, an outstanding defensive block by senior Zara Ayazi, a perfect put-away from junior Naya Tatoulian, and a little help from a suddenly-error-prone Taft team, the Falcons’ lead was extended, eventually going up 24-17 -just one point shy of victory. Taft forced a side-out and reclaimed the serve, but a second put-away from Tatoulian secured the match for CV.

After the game, Coach Matt Simons said that getting the first win of the season would “be a big confidence boost for the girls.”

“It’s difficult when you play well and don’t see results,” he said. However, the two-time Pacific League Coach of the Year was also emphatic in expressing that, win or lose, “being able to be on the court after the past year is good for our spirit and our psyche.”

The Falcons varsity girls’ volleyball team will have its own opportunity to win the Burbank varsity tournament this weekend, then next play at home on Wednesday, Sept. 1 against Granada Hills.