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Varsity girls volleyball conquers Priory in three sets on senior night

Byline photo of Chelsea Xie
Byline photo of Isabella Lo
by Chelsea Xie and Isabella Lo
November 2, 2024
Senior middle hitter Emily Mitnick tips the ball over the net. The varsity girls volleyball team dominated Priory 25-16, 25-19, 25-10 during their senior night game.
Senior middle hitter Emily Mitnick tips the ball over the net. The varsity girls volleyball team dominated Priory 25-16, 25-19, 25-10 during their senior night game.
Isabella Lo
Varsity girls volleyball seniors Emily Mitnick, Norah Mehanna, Navya Samuel and Stephanie Bossalina hold bouquets and gifts while smiling for a photo with family members and coaches. “Although it's our last moment on this court as seniors and it's bittersweet, I've had great memories this season," Stephanie said.

Varsity girls volleyball overpowered Priory 25-16, 25-19, 25-10 during their senior night in the Zhang Gymnasium on Tuesday.

During the opening ceremony, the team celebrated seniors Stephanie Bossalina, Norah Mehanna, Emily Mitnick and Navya Samuel with flower bouquets, personalized gift baskets and other mementos. Head coach Theresa Smith recognized each senior’s contributions to the team as they walked across the gym with their family to hug teammates and pose for a group picture. 

Varsity girls volleyball seniors Emily Mitnick, Norah Mehanna, Navya Samuel and Stephanie Bossalina hold bouquets and gifts while smiling for a photo with family members and coaches. “Although it’s our last moment on this court as seniors and it’s bittersweet, I’ve had great memories this season,” Stephanie said. (Chelsea Xie)
Setter Brooke Kubose (11) leads the team to high five Priory players after the senior night ceremony. The varsity girls volleyball team celebrated their four seniors with speeches and gifts.

Middle hitter Eden Kelly (11) described the team’s process of preparing gifts for each senior to commemorate their time on the volleyball team.

“We all assigned ourselves seniors and went to Target and got them gifts,” Eden said. “It was a really great ceremony. I have known the seniors since my freshman year, so it was really sad to say goodbye to them.”

Setter Brooke Kubose (11) leads the team to high five Priory players after the senior night ceremony. The varsity girls volleyball team celebrated their four seniors with speeches and gifts. (Chelsea Xie)
Students, parents and teachers cheer for the seniors during the ceremony. They created posters and face cutouts in support of the seniors, supporting the team with their energy.

Students, teachers and family members packed the bleachers, waving posters and cutouts of their faces. Right-side hitter Stephanie appreciated the crowd’s energy and reflected on her time on the team.

“I’m emotional thinking about how this is my final year,” Stephanie said. “Although it’s our last moment on this court as seniors and it’s bittersweet, I’ve had great memories this season.”

Students, parents and teachers cheer for the seniors during the ceremony. They created posters and face cutouts in support of the seniors, supporting the team with their energy. (Chelsea Xie)
Navya Samuel (12) prepares to serve the ball during the second set. Navya joined the varsity volleyball team as a frosh and played for four seasons.

Outside hitter Navya set the tone for the match, opening with a 10-point serving run. The Eagles pulled ahead after kills by outside hitter Elie Ahluwalia (11) and strong team defense. After a diving save by outside hitter Natalie Tan (11), middle hitter Emily closed the set with a hit, ending it at 25-6.

Navya Samuel (12) prepares to serve the ball during the second set. Navya joined the varsity volleyball team as a frosh and played for four seasons. (Isabella Lo)
Junior setter Keira Chang sets the volleyball. In the second set, Keira also had a nine-point serving run.

Building on Harker’s momentum from the previous set, Keira Chang (11) completed a nine-point serving run. Although Priory made strong offensive plays, the Eagles’ communication on the court helped them return attacks smoothly. An ace from Elie elicited cheers from the crowd, and Harker clinched the set at 25-19. 

Junior setter Keira Chang sets the volleyball. In the second set, Keira also had a nine-point serving run. (Isabella Lo)
Senior Claire Anderson rides on senior Kylie Anderson's back, cheering after the varsity girls volleyball team won their game. The last regular season home game drew a large audience of students, staff and parents.

At the start of the third set, Priory matched Harker point-for-point, but the Eagles soon pulled ahead with a series of attacks. Navya landed two cross shots, bringing the score to 16-8. After a string of decisive hits from Emily and outside hitter Divya, Harker closed out the final set at 25-10.

Senior Claire Anderson rides on senior Kylie Anderson’s back, cheering after the varsity girls volleyball team won their game. The last regular season home game drew a large audience of students, staff and parents. (Ram Batchu)
A cake with “Congrats Seniors” written on top sits on a table with cutouts of the varsity girls volleyball team seniors. Teammates and audience members enjoyed the treats and held up the cutouts to cheer on the seniors. (Chelsea Xie)

Assistant coach Jackson Dupler commended the seniors for their performance over the past season.

“They have been wonderful to work with,” Coach Dupler said. “They all have great attitudes, and they’re great leaders for the team. Our four seniors went out there and all did their job very well. They’ve all become much better players from last year.”

The Eagles finished the season with an 18-8 overall record. They face Menlo School on Saturday for the first round of Central Coast Section in a home game. 

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