Battle of the Bay is arguably the biggest high school rivalry game in Orange County. Students who go to Newport Harbor or Corona del Mar know that everyone from their schools takes all the BOTB games to heart. Teams on both sides aren’t playing around; their school is cheering them on, and students are counting on the athletes to exhibit their school pride and take home the win.
Players on all levels in all sports, Varsity, JV, and Frosh/Soph, are counting the days until their BOTB game. In some way, the only game that truly matters to many is the BOTB. Most forget how their other league games went after their season ends, because the only game that truly sticks is the BOTB. Recent years have shown the tightness of the battle for girls’ volleyball, with CdM winning in five sets in 2023 and NH winning in three sets just last year. With no doubt, this year’s energy wasn’t going to be any different, with CdM losing last year. The girls have been working relentlessly, determined to make their school proud and bring home that win.
Olivia Rotowski, a junior and varsity’s starting setter, describes the energy of BOTB as “very, very energetic.” She says, “They have a huge student section, and you can barely hear yourself talk when you’re on the court. Both student sections bring so much energy and just like the liveliness of that place makes all the players on the court way more energized.” She says that what motivates her to win is the influence from “my coaches, and the thought of winning the Battle of the Bay seems like the best feeling.” Rotowski was asked how the matches have gone in the past, and she said “last year we lost in three, and in previous years it’s been really close. Coming into this game, we really want to win.” In those previous games, she talked about how “as a sophomore, still being one of the youngest players on the team, it was very nerve-racking. It was my first Battle of the Bay ever, so this year, having my experience and knowing my team better, it’s going to be a much better game.” Her opinion on the team bond is that “we’ve been growing closer and closer, and we’ve been bonding outside of volleyball too. We have sophomores all the way up to seniors, which makes being with the team even more fun.”
This match isn’t only a big deal for players on varsity, but on JV and Frosh/Soph too. Many players have no experience with being a part of the game, so coming to CdM varsity games is an eye-opening experience. Being in the stands is as lively as being on the court.
Kyleigh Jen, a freshman on JV, is one of the liveliest players in the program. She talked about “watching varsity play, even though Harbor is a really solid team, CdM kept their energy and showed no mercy. The first set we played well, the crowd was pretty electric.” She explained the vibe as “loud” and very “energized.” Going in, Jen described herself playing in her first Battle of the Bay as “definitely nervous, but after the first point, I realized this is like every other game and really locked in.”
At all three levels this year, unfortunately, CdM lost the battle. It was a close game for all, just like it was the previous year. The girls didn’t leave their gym discouraged, but more motivated, hoping for a different ending next year.
