By: Christine Wu, staff writer
The Girls JV Basketball Team has had a complete remodel this season. Most players on the team are either new to Galileo or new to the sport, with 6 of the 7 players playing basketball at Galileo for the first time. The JV team has three juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. Because of how few players were interested this year, there were only 15 people on both girls varsity & JV basketball teams combined, which required some players to switch back and forth between teams during the preseason to make sure they had enough players for all their games.
According to Coach Matt Allen, even though the team is new and small, the players are similar to past seasons in terms of talents and characters. The strength of the team is that they have great character. The players put the team first, support each other, and understand that there are many journeys to arrive at the same place. There is a wide variety of talent and experience, but they know that it’s a team game and everyone has their own role to play. They have all overcome a lot and to Coach Allen, it feels like they don’t take anything for granted, which gives the team the ability to come together and compete.
The team’s ability to stay together through difficulties has already been tested due to the omicron Covid variant, as some games had to be rescheduled. During the extra time they’ve had while waiting for games to be played, the team has tried to take advantage of the time, with the players often playing against the coaches…making something out of the disadvantages.
Coach Allen highlighted a number of the players who have helped make this year’s team a success. He mentioned freshman Betsy Duong, who was named team captain as a freshman. He said, “She has a little more experience than the other players and has shown them how to be decisive and aggressive.”
For Besty, she has enjoyed the opportunity to be one of the leaders on the team, and just the chance to be part of the team. She said,“It’s really fun and I really like having the experience of playing with Galileo, and the team’s really good”.
Another player Coach Allen mentioned is also their newest player, Shuhan, who just transferred to Galileo this semester, but has already helped improve the team’s shooting.
Other players that have stood out are two sophomores, Genevieve Chan and Linda Pham, who Coach Allen appreciates for their consistency, and their willingness to work hard and learn. He also noted how junior Alexandra Villalobos displayed great courage to come back to our team after more than a year off.
The team has clinched a playoff spot with a record of 4-2, coming in 2nd place in the AAA. The J/V team will play ICA at home on Tuesday, February 15th with a chance to make the championship if they win.
