Game, Set, Panthers

Kyra McGath• October 28, 2025

For the past decade, the girls varsity volleyball team has fought against one of their rivals, Chadwick every year. Each game, Chadwick seemed to come out on top, but that all changed on Aug. 26 when the volleyball players brought home a win, beating Chadwick with a final score of three to two.

During the first set of the game, one of Peninsula’s setters tore her ACL, creating a challenge that briefly shook the team's focus. Despite this setback, the girls fought hard to regain momentum, diving for balls and hustling across the court to keep the ball in play. Despite their best efforts, however, Peninsula lost the first two sets to Chadwick. With the game on the line in the third set, the team regrouped after a quick huddle with Coach Kevin Williams, to reset and refocus their energy. He reminded them to trust their skills, communicate and play with confidence rather than fear. In the third set, they then began to apply pressure on Chadwick by reinforcing their defense and offense, leading to a major shift in momentum. The team’s comeback had officially begun.

They carried that same energy into the fourth and fifth sets, where they ultimately completed a reverse sweep – coming back and winning the game after losing the first two sets. In the fourth set, Peninsula secured their rhythm, with strong serves and plenty of communication, allowing them to take control of the game. The team’s hitters began finding open spots on Chadwick’s side, while their back row stayed dependable, refusing to let anything hit the floor. By the time the fifth set started, the energy in the gym was tense. Every point was a battle, but the team’s confidence and teamwork never wavered. With the crowd cheering them on, they closed out the match, sealing a hard-fought three to two victory.

Williams reflects on the team’s high emotions during the Chadwick game.

“Our emotions really got into that game. I think we all were a little uptight, but we calmed down, [because] it is hard to do a reverse sweep,” Williams said. “We don’t give up, we fight to the end and we know we always have an opportunity [to win] if we just go out there and put our effort in.”

One of the ways the coaches were able to improve the teams’ performance was through the implementation of changes to the practice routines. Over the years, Williams’s coaching style has undergone drastic changes, and this year his efforts came to fruition. Williams has upped the intensity of practice, with tougher, longer training sessions that mirror football footwork drills. During practice, they focus on serving, hitting, passing and blocking with a scrimmage at the end. These new training techniques encourage the girls to give their all at practice, hoping to make their coaches proud. Senior and varsity captain Emmanuel (Emmy) Kang shares where her motivation comes from.

“My biggest inspiration is Coach Massey; he’s always been very positive and supportive even when we are playing poorly,” Kang said. “I really appreciate him as a coach [because] he makes me want to push myself harder.”

With a landmark win against Chadwick behind them, the team now has their sights set on a bigger goal: making it to CIF. Practices will continue to be intense, with a strong focus on consistency, communication and mental toughness. Senior and varsity captain Kennedy Young expresses her motivations behind setting these goals for the upcoming season.

“I want to have a really good last season since it’s my senior year and I want to be the best player I can be,” Young said. “ I think we all want to qualify and go to CIF, which we haven’t done in a really long time. We have all been putting in work to make ourselves better, and if we keep pushing each other, I know we can do it.”