“It’s just one more step in the right direction,” Los Medanos College women’s volleyball head coach Lou Panzella said following the Mustangs’ dominating win over the Cougars Wednesday night.
LMC never trailed the Cougars in their three-set sweep, winning sets by scores of 25-5, 25-9 and 25-8.
Alameda managed to tie the score just once all series during set two at six points. However, after this, the Mustangs went on a 19-3 run and ultimately ran away with set two and the rest of the series.
“We just stayed locked in,” sophomore Makayla Mak said as the Stangs have now won their ninth game in the past 11 to qualify for NorCal playoffs.
With recent wins over Mendocino and Yuba colleges, the Mustangs finished second in their conference and clinched a NorCal playoff spot. However, a conference championship eluded them when Solano College swept the season series against the Mustangs.
However, despite not winning the conference, Panzella said, “It’s always a plus to make playoffs.”
With the Stangs win, Alameda’s losing streak extends to 19 games with a danger of a winless season looming in their final game of the season against Mendocino College. Coach Panzella said with the Cougar’s struggles the challenge was on his team to stay in the game mentally.
“Alameda hasn’t had a team for a few years. They’re all new to the game. For us, the challenge was just to stay focused and play to our ability,” Panzella said.
They will look to carry the momentum of sweeping the Cougars not only into their final match against Contra Costa College but also into the postseason. Panzella calls a game like against Alameda “just one more step along the journey.”
“We have to do what we did tonight,” Panzella said on the Mustangs preparation for NorCal playoffs. He added, “We have to control the ball and worry about our side of the court and not worry about theirs.”
Despite struggling against other top schools in northern California such as Solano and Hartnell, Mak believes the Mustangs have the potential to compete to the level of any team when it comes time for playoffs.
“As long as we just keep up our energy, communication and energy, I think we could still do great and maybe beat Solano in playoffs,” Mak said.
