On March 4th, the MAST Academy Lady Makos Beach Volleyball team made history with a first-time win and a clean 4-1 sweep over the Immaculata-La Salle Royals. Leading up to this win, the Lady Makos had gone 3-3, struggling to apply off-the-sand connections to their game. However, this big win showcased their dominance and proved that they are serious contenders. Additionally, the victory gives the “green light” for MAST Academy’s attendance at Districts and the potential to serve as a hosting school for the event.
When interviewed, junior Chloe Crisan described her #3 seed win against La Salle as “a great experience, especially it being the first time [beating La Salle],” noting that the environment was competitive and intense. After winning a three-set thriller, Crisan stated, “My partner and I were down in the second set. We were really doubting our abilities, and we felt like we had already dug ourselves too deep in a hole. We took a long timeout and realized that to win, we needed to want it badly enough. From there, we were able to reset with a better attitude and push hard for each point. Once we had our momentum, the third set was in our hands.”
This big win wasn’t an accident. Early morning practices and late afternoon games were put in before the Lady Makos saw victory. It took hard losses, difficult practices, and lots of encouragement, and they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Junior #1 seed player Emma Llovet shared, “We’ve grown greatly as a team with the amount of practice we have done together. Waking up early and starting our day as a team built that dynamic that motivates us throughout our matches. Our win against La Salle showed us what we are capable of and how our hard work has paid off. It is going to push us for our future games and tournaments.”
Hoping to continue blazing their trail of success, the Lady Makos will face off against Ronald Reagan High School and Ferguson Senior High in an all-day tournament this upcoming Wednesday. We wish them luck as they continue proving themselves a serious threat to any doubtful opponents.
