Ashlyn M Victa
Ashlyn M Victa
About Ashlyn
Expert Analysis
Michelle Bamford | Prep Dig Scout
On the weekend of March 16, 2024, my team, BAVC 17 National Black, won the 17/18 Division Championship at the 2024 NCVA Golden State Classic (GSC). Before the GSC, two teammates sustained injuries. One of our opposites suffered a concussion during an earlier tournament, and then one of our setters sprained her right ankle the night before the GSC. We were a hobbled team but had somehow won all of the games leading up to the championship match.
During the pre-game huddle of the championship match, Coach Badillo rallied our team with a pep talk, “If you don’t have the intensity and fire to win this game, we’re done for. You have to come out of the gates with fire and intensity. Whatever we did during the tournament up to this point, our team energy and chemistry were there. That’s what I need to see in this last game.”
The first set was a back-and-forth battle of wills. Neither team would relent to more than one or two points in a row to the other team. Before we knew it, the score had surpassed 25-25. Our team kept up with tenacious defense and sheer will and barely won the first set with a 30-28 score.
The second set was the most memorable for me. Again, the score was close throughout the first half. When Coach Badillo called the last time-out, he reminded us of the three core values we had been striving for all season long: “Intensity, Focus, Communication”. He went on to say, “Go and make a statement. That starts with good defense…” It was after that last speech that our team made a strong defensive stop. I remember diving for a save at our attack line, with our middle forced to then set it to our trailing outside hitter who then tipped it onto an open spot on the opposing side. From there on out our team kept rolling on with tenacious defense that translated into smart, tactical kills.
We finished the match 30-28, 25-18 to the cheers of many. I had not realized until the game ended that a large crowd had grown around our court, a mixture of players and families from other teams that had stopped by to watch us play an incredible match against such a formidable opponent. And seeing my 80-year-old grandmother sitting on the sidelines with my family, cheering and clapping, was a very gratifying moment. She was the first volleyball player in our family, and her presence made our team’s tournament victory all the more meaningful.
This tournament has shown us the potential of what our team can achieve. Our hard work and dedication paid off, and with our injured players planning to return soon, I couldn’t be more optimistic and excited about what the rest of this season will bring. Watch out for BAVC 17 National Black!
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