Battle Tested

By Jacob Stock

Yorktown News-View

There was a thrilling feeling that filled the gym last Tuesday evening for the Yorktown Kitty Kats season-opening doubleheader. This season, the Yorktown volleyball program will feature a roster that includes experience and inexperience consisting of five sophomores, one junior, and four seniors. 

“We are a young group,” said Coach Irma Gomez who is entering her seventh season at the helm. “A lot of them are brand new to varsity. That’s quickly adjusting to the speed [of the game]. Then of course when you are on JV you are playing two out of three sets, then when you get on varsity you are playing up to five sets.”

In the first two sets of the season against the Lady Mustangs of Nixon-Smiley, Yorktown’s struggles would force them to play from behind. Having a rough time generating momentum, the Kats would end up falling in set one (25-15) and in set two (25-19). 

With their backs firmly against the wall, a completely different team showed up for set three. Commanding the early lead, Yorktown would force a Lady Stangs timeout up 15-7. Out of the timeout, an Emie Bolting kill on offense, and a block on defense preserved the momentum. In the final 14 possessions, the Kats would outscore Nixon-Smiley 10-4 to cruise to claiming their first set of the season (25-11). 

“We struggled in the beginning, but in the third set we came back pretty strong,” said senior Emie Bolting on the effort to battle back. Bolting would finish the game with 12 of Yorktown’s 29 kills, added six blocks, and scored 12 points. 

“We worked as a team, that’s what helped us come back,” added senior Ayana Longoria who finished with 35 digs, six kills, and added seven points. “We were down but working together and trying we just wanted to win. Coming in that was our mindset and we weren’t going to let them take that away from us,” continued Longoria. 

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