The Girl’s Volleyball team has completed their most successful season in Perry’s Volleyball history thus far, going 14-3 with their only losses against Hamilton, Desert Vista and Basha.

Among the greatest achievements of this season are the Puma’s wins against Corona, Gilbert, Chaparral, and Mt. Pointe.

“Those are big time programs out there,” varsity girls volleyball coach Fred Mann said, “The fact that we won big matches paid off for us in the end.”

Out of the 14 wins, three of the matches played all the way to five sets; making these games some of the most intense moments of the season, according to Mann.

Although the girls ranged in age, the teamwork displayed helped encourage cooperation.

“I’ve never been with such a good group of girls,” freshman setter Katie Koski said. “We meshed really well together, considering we were all different ages.”

Many friendships arose this season and the Pumas became a closely knit team, an attribute that contributed to their success.

“I think this season has been such a different season from all the rest,” junior outside hitter Taylor Knoll said. “We were so much closer and so much more like a family, on and off the court.”

Mann agrees that the girls’ teamwork and cooperation helped them achieve what they did this season.

“We’ve got some quality kids. They get along well and they’ve got good chemistry,” Mann says. “[Teamwork] helps every year; the girls are close and they get along. In the end when we lost, the girls didn’t want that season to be over.”

The season came to a close with a tragic loss in the quarter finals against Perry’s biggest rival, Basha High School.

“I’m really disappointed. We all were,” Mann says concerning the final loss. “The girls were devastated. They expected they would win that match.”

Mann believes it was only the minor errors in said match that went wrong.

“Usually when you evaluate at the end of a match what went wrong,” Mann comments. “It’s traditionally serving and passing.”

It’s going to take more than this loss, however, to discourage the Pumas from realizing their improvement from last season.

“It’s sad that this season is over,” says Knoll. “But we fought hard and played as a team… we know we’re a good team, and definitely better than last year.”

Overall, the Pumas are ranking eleventh in the state.

“The fact that we were a four seed going up against a 13 seed is what [the girls] should be rewarded with.” Mann states.

Mann wishes to expresses his pride in the girls. Especially for the seniors; Ashley Greene, Maddie LeBlanc, Raena Schulze and Mahea Rubin, described by Mann to be “quality character kids” who contributed to an incredibly successful season.

“When I took over this job I was told that we didn’t have kids in our program that could win,” Mann says. “When I got here, I found out that it was just the opposite.”

Indeed, the Pumas have proved Mann to be correct. Congratulations to the 2014 girl’s varsity volleyball team.