Volleyball: Girls hang tough despite coach’s absence

In recent weeks, the volleyball team has been coping with a trying situation: Head coach Brad Frederickson has taken time off to support his son, 2004 SHS graduate Erik Frederickson, after he was involved in a serious car crash on the way home from a San Francisco 49ers opening game on the night of Sept. 14.

The girls on the team have tried to stay strong and fight hard, dedicating each match to their supportive and compassionate coach.

In Frederickson’s absence, assistant coach Steve Chiou, father of senior setter and captain Nicole Chiou, is temporarily running the team since it’s not clear when or if Frederickson will be able to return.

The team has begun its league season with a record of 0-5.  They played against Los Altos on Oct. 8, losing 3-1, scoring 25-12, 25-14, a win of 25-23, then another loss of 25-18. The Falcons also faced Palo Alto on Oct. 6, losing in three sets. They lost 25-10, 25-23 and 25-21.

They also played Mountain View on Oct. 1, losing in three sets 25-15, 25-20 and 25-17. During the Mountain View game, junior libero Julia Vita said the girls played well, but because of small hitting and passing errors, they couldn’t complete the victory.

“Being able to stick with [Mountain View] is good but we need to fix the little errors going forward,” Vita said.

Since they had played against Mountain View at a previous tournament on Sep. 26, Chiou said one of their accomplishments for this match was shutting down one of Mountain View’s strongest hitters, a definite improvement from the last game.

The girls also played a tough match against rival Los Gatos on Sept. 29, losing in three sets 25-23, 25-11 and 25-12.

“The beginning didn't start out well considering the fact that [Los Gatos] was six points ahead,” said senior outside hitter Amanda Meserve. “But we fought hard and I think we had a few simple mistakes, such as not communicating on a couple of the plays.”

Although the Falcons lost, there were many standout players on the court, including Chiou, who played even though she was battling a cold. Sophomore defensive specialist Dasha Gousseva said that Chiou worked for every point, played with the most energy and put out the most effort on the court.

“It has been different and a little emotional to be playing without [Coach Frederickson] on the sideline, since he has been my coach for the past three years,” Chiou said.   

Along with working hard, Vita said Chiou and she have the most saves during games. She also said that Meserve and senior opposite hitter Eleni Spirakis score most of the hits.

In addition to having a fill-in coach, the newest player, freshman middle blocker Katie Hulme, enjoys being part of such a collaborative team who works extremely well together.

“The team is really supportive, and we’re like a family,” Hulme said.

To improve their game and prepare for tougher and more competitive teams like Homestead, the girls plan to work on their communication and quickening their plays.

In future games, the Falcons hope to keep up their intensity for the entire duration of their match. With new goals set in mind, the girls are ready to bump up their game and bring home more wins.

“We moved up a league this year to play the sport at a higher level and went out to prove to the other schools that we deserve to belong in this league,” Chiou said.

The girls will face Homestead on Oct. 13 and Gunn on Oct. 15; these games could not be covered due to printing deadlines.