Jack Taylor, Opinion Editor

October 26, 2019

With a commanding three set win against rivals McKinleyville High on Thursday night, the Arcata High School volleyball team took home the league title. The Tigers were undefeated in league play this year, posting a 8-0 record in the Humboldt/Del Norte league. Perhaps even more impressively, the Tigers only lost a single set in that time. This title marks Arcata’s first since 2015.

Although the Tigers seemed to cruise through the league, the season was by no means easy. After winning so much, they had to make sure that they stayed focused and on the course. In a league as competitive as the HDN, any slight slip-up could cost you a title. 

One of the largest challenges they faced was simply “coming in overconfident and thinking we were gonna win. We had to find a way to challenge ourselves,” Senior Mckaynea Solia said. 

Fortunately, the Tigers stayed focused, and finished a perfect 8-0

The Tigers were led by an extraordinary group of seniors, whose combination of skill and athleticism proved too big of a challenge for the rest of the league. These Seniors have played together since Freshman year, where they won the JV league. 

“We had a really good Freshman team, so we always dreamed about winning it our Senior year,” Isabella Peterman, Arcata High Senior and volleyball team member, said. 

As well as the standout Seniors, the team also had some help from a group of Juniors looking to make their mark on AHS volleyball. Junior Lola Renteria has impressed in nearly all the matches this year, and has earned the respect of fans and players around the league. 

“Lola was huge help. She is very scrappy and can make near impossible plays,” said Solia.

With the league title secured, the Tigers have set their sights on even loftier goals. With such a good record, they have themselves in a very good position for the North Coast sectional tournament, and will most likely will enjoy having a relatively high seed, such as home court advantage, as well as playing a lower seeded team. 

“Our goal is too win two sections games. Arcata has never won more than one, so it would be a really big accomplishment,” Senior and team member Talula Peterman said. 

Though it may seem like a challenge, these Tigers are more than prepared to rise to the occasion.