The world of sports tends to operate under a shared understanding of a basic tenet: winning is good, losing is bad. Winning a proof of progression. Losing a reality of regression.
But even sports aren’t always so straightforward. Even in losses, context matters and can tell the gray areas that factor into the valuation. Not all wins are victories. Not all losses are made equal. Some can even be a greater measuring stick for potential upcoming success than wins.
It rings true for Las Positas‘ women’s volleyball team.
The Hawks took their eight-game win streak to Monterey on Oct. 16 for a chance to claim first place in Coast Conference-North. The Lobos of Monterey Peninsula College, leaders of the conference, stood in the way of surging Las Positas.
That Las Positas left Monterey losing in straight sets would seem to make their road trip fruitless. The Lobos backed up their first-place position with a 3-0 win over the Hawks to maintain first place in the conference.
But that wouldn’t tell the entire story. The Hawks came to play. It was a battle. Each set was close: 25-22, 25-20, 27-25. They remained second place in Coast Conference-North but walked away even more convinced they could compete with the better programs.
“Hopefully,” head coach Jaime Hadenfeldt said, “they feel from me that I believe in them. And having that belief in them hopefully gives them a little bit of a confidence boost in knowing that they’ve got somebody on their side that’s gonna help them through tough times and is able to give them good feedback when they need it. It’s my job to be there to lift them up and push them and get them ready. I think they trust me, and I think that trust in me helps them trust themselves and each other.”
GOOD MOJO: Freshman Jade Dancel (No. 10) said the Hawks are ‘pretty positive’ and are thriving on that energy. (Photo by Alan Lewis/ Special to The Express)
For the early season Hawks, that statement would seem like a distant dream. The Hawks’ 0-4 start to the season pushed their losing streak, dating back to last year, to 22 games. It took 21 months for them to get their frist win. But once they broke the streak with their 3-2 win against Napa Valley, the Hawks took off.
They won the next even matches, including an upset victory to open up conference play against Hartnell. Not only were they winning, but they were smoking teams. Five of their eight wins came in straight sets.
During the Hawks losing streak, they were seemingly incapable of even winning a set, with 17 of the 22 losses being 3-0 shutouts. The last season the team finished .500 or better was the 2018-19 season. Even then, the Hawks finished just 4-8 in conference.
In the Hawks first conference game this season, they already showed that this group was different. They played hosts to Hartnell, where they found themselves down two sets to one and down 24-19 in the fourth set, giving Hartnell five match points. Instead of bowing down and out of the contest, the Hawks clawed back in the game, winning the fourth set 27-25 before ultimately winning the overtime set 15-12.
“To watch them succeed in that moment,” Hadenfeldt said, “and not get flustered by the score, or the moment, or the pressure, I think gives us a lot of confidence.”
The Hawks teams of the past had simply lost in those circumstances. Especially seeing this comeback didn’t come against some scrubs – Hartnell currently sit in third place in the Conference with a 2-1 Conference record, their lone loss coming against the Hawks, with two 3-0 victories over De Anza and City College of San Francisco. Their ability to show out in that moment proved just how far this program has come. They seem to be mostly on par with their Conference competition. More importantly, they are clearly set on competing with them.
A huge factor in the program’s resurgence has been the additions of some crucial freshmen.
Seven of the ten players on the team are first-year players, giving the team an infusion of both youth and great volleyball experience. Despite being so young, Hadenfeldt credited the team with their strong pass and serve game throughout the season, saying it helps the team create and maintain a rhythm to their games. Along with their strong rhythm, Hadenfeldt is focused on continuing to master the basics.
“Just staying focused on small keys,” Hadenfeldt said. “Keeping our focus points simple and attainable.”
With such a young core, chemistry and mood are always such an important part of success. The Hawks are no different, according to Jade Dancel, a freshmen setter.
“Our energy on the court, we are pretty positive,” Dancel said. “That’s what we thrive on right now, and that’s what we need to win our games, we can’t have any negativity.”
When the team is feeling that positive energy, they feed off of it, riding the high to victory. But, as with all young groups, it can be hard for them to maintain those positive vibes in the face of adversity. That is where, once again, head coach Hadenfeldt comes in.
Despite the Hawks loss to the Lobos being their first defeat in seven weeks, the Hawks are still in a better position than they have arguably ever been in. On Friday, they travel to San Francisco, who are tied along with De Anza at the bottom of the Conference table, both with no Conference wins and overall records of 3-19. Then, the Hawks play host to fourth place Cabrillo, who, along with the Hawks and Hartnell, hold a 2-1 Conference record.
So far, the Hawks have proven their seat at the table isn’t a fluke. But a win against Cabrillo would prove that they don’t just have their eyes set on a seat, but the top spot.
Top photo: The Haws, led by No. 2 Taylor Huerta, one eight straight games and gavd first-place Monterey Peninsula a scare. (Photo by Alan Lewis/ Special to The Express)
Jakob Arnarsson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Express. Follow him on X, formally Twitter, @JakobA2004
