The Lady Brahmas volleyball team finished the season with their heads held high after facing tough losses and capturing a momentous win. Although the team’s league record was 1-7, the players expressed their belief that they had matured as a team.

“I’ve grown so much since the beginning of the season, mentally and physically. I’ve learned not to be so hard on myself,” sophomore Melissa Khodr said.

With Rebecca Bevans’ return as head coach and new players coming in from the junior varsity team, preseason started out rough and the team needed much adjusting.

“Preseason was hard because we had just formed the team and got new coaches, but we worked hard and remained competitive,” senior Kiana Malbas said.

However, consecutive losses began to bring the girls’ confidence levels down, according to Bevans.

“There were times where we played really well, we just had a hard time being consistent. We were making errors that we couldn’t afford making,” Bevans said.

The team entered the league knowing the competition they were going to face. Though preseason was challenging and it was tough for the team to get comfortable playing together, the team’s  playing style improved tremendously after players began to get to know each other.

“My favorite part of season was bonding with all of the girls on the team,” Malbas said.

Even though team bonding proved helpful off the court, the girls still weren’t seeing the results they wanted. After tournament victories and successful practices, the Lady Brahmas were seeing their skill payoff everywhere except the scoreboard during league.

“We had so many close losses throughout preseason and league. We were losing by only one or two points,” Bevans said.

Their time to shine came at their final home game, where the team won its first league victory of the season against South Hills. The team worked together well and each player shined.

Even though the team didn’t achieve  the outcomes they had wished for, most of the senior players hope to play in college and will take many lessons from their time spent here at Diamond Bar. Their final home game on Oct. 27 was a celebration of the seniors. There were 7 seniors playing this season, Kiana Malbas, Morgan Dempsey, Himani Shah, Jenna Canova, Meanna Gray, Tricia Byerrum, and Alyssa Ingalla. Each senior got the chance to thank those that have supported them throughout the season.

“Overall, we remained competitive and next year I think we just need to return to the fundamentals and remind the girls what it’s like to win,” Bevans said.