The girls varsity volleyball season came to an end on Saturday, Nov. 12 with a loss to top-ranked Granada Hills Charter High School in the CIF championships.

After a long bus ride to Downtown Los Angeles, which many girls said was a chance for team bonding, the third-ranked Lady Dolphins arrived early to get in as much practice as possible. These two teams are notoriously rivals, which only increased the tension before the match had even started. According to junior Maddie Fowler, Granada Hills had “even brought a ‘congratulations’ cake to rub in our faces right before the match started.”

The first and second sets were close, with Granada Hills prevailing, 25-20 and 25-23. The Pali girls enjoyed a satisfying 25-23 victory in their third set, yet the victory didn’t turn into a streak as the Highlanders won the fourth set, 25-21.

Even after the loss, the Pali girls said they were able to leave with their heads held high and enjoyed a fun team party and banquet. With high hopes and enthusiasm for the next season, senior Angel Echipue said, “There’s no other team I would have rather spent my last season and shared the experience of playing in the CIF finals with.”