La Habra was led (from left) by Kaia Lin, Mia Fielder, Kaitlyn Esqueda and Tiffany Salo in the win Thursday. (PHOTOS: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone).
After losing 22 consecutive matches, it wouldn’t be a surprise for a team to throw in the towel for the rest of the season.
However, that’s not in the La Habra girls volleyball team’s DNA.
Entering Thursday’s home match with El Modena, the Highlanders hadn’t won a match since beating Mayfair on Aug. 13. But La Habra played as if it were the CIF finals and rallied to defeat the Vanguards 3-1 (26-24, 22-25, 25-17, and 29-27), avenging an earlier season loss to El Modena.
“We started strong and that was the key,” said Highlanders first-year coach Zoe Herrera. “In past matches, the girls would let mistakes bother them and they couldn’t shake it off and move on. Tonight, they never stopped battling and they never looked back. They didn’t worry about mistakes; they kept looking for the next ball. I’m so happy for them and I’m so proud of them.”
Trailing 24-22 in the first set, the Highlanders (2-23, 1-4) got a critical kill by Addison Hegedpeth and then La Habra’s aggressive offense created three consecutive unforced errors by El Modena (17-8, 1-3) to capture the first set 26-24.
“We all had a warm feeling tonight that we were going to win, even after we made a few mistakes we had a ‘when we win attitude,'” said sophomore outside hitter Tiffany Salo.
La Habra got outstanding performances from setters Kaitlyn Esqueda, Isabella Robles and Kaia Lin who continually set up Mia Fielder, a Whittier Christian transfer, Addison Hegedeth, Samantha Castrollon, and Salo, for crucial kills.
“It was so difficult not to be able to play in the first-half of the season,” said Fielder, who was required to sit out until mid September due to the CIF transfer policy. “I wanted to contribute so badly for my team. We had so much energy and that’s what makes this win so exciting.”
After losing set two, the Highlanders bounced back in set three behind Fielder, Lin, and Esqueda. La Habra was comfortably ahead for most of the set, but the Vanguards closed the score to 19-16. Herrera called a time out to regroup her team. The Highlanders responded by taking six of the final seven points. Salo’s kill gave the La Habra the set, 25-17.
“It’s fun to be back to winning,” said Esqueda, a sophomore. “We got back to basics. I felt like I was playing in my backyard and having fun with my family.”
“We’ve changed up our rotations and now we feel we have the right combinations on the court; it’s been a learning process,” said Herrera.
In set four, the Highlanders fell behind 21-17 and Herrera again called a vital timeout.
La Habra battled back and tied the score a 24-24 on an ace by Esqueda. El Modena was then one-point away (27-26) from forcing a set five, however Fielder blasted a kill, Salo served up an ace and Fielder smashed home the final kill to secure the victory for La Habra.
“We started strong and we had such incredible energy all night,” said Lin. “Our back row played well and we all executed.”
Both teams wore an array of pink on their uniforms, in their hair and on their footwear to commemorate October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness month.
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