Piedmont off to good start
The Piedmont High School girls volleyball team is off to a 6-3 start thanks to an infusion of young talent.
“We have a really phenomenal group of underclassmen,” coach Mariah Cardenas said. “We’re slowly kind of finding our groove. We have such a young team. With such a young team we have to figure out what’s gonna work best for us and figuring out what rotation is going to be ideal for every opponent.”
Piedmont’s Allyson Huynh prepares to set a ball against Urban. Huynh is one of several sophomores making big contributions. 
Maika Ting goes up for a kill. Coach Mariah Cardenas says Ting is her strongest and most consistent hitter.
Three sophomores are helping to lead the way.
Setter Allyson Huynh can play all over the court, as she showed in the final set of a win at Urban-San Francisco on September 9.
“That was the best set that we had,” Cardenas said. “She’s small but definitely mighty.”
Maika Ting helps lead the team up front.
“She’s the strongest hitter and the most consistent in the front,” Cardenas said.
At libero is Olivia Stevens.
“She’s running it,” Cardenas said. “She passes it so well every single game. She also plays beach and that helps with reading and knowing where to go and she can also set.”
Senior Stella Wilk is another consistent hitter up front.
Piedmont’s Maika Ting (3) and Izara Dando watch the latter’s bump over the net against Urban on September 9. The Highlanders won in four sets. 
Stella Wilk gets low for a bump in a match at Urban on September 9. The senior has blended well with her younger teammates. 
Sofia Meyer gets the block during a match at Urban. The Highlanders beat the Blues, 31-29, 25-23, 24-26, 25-9.
The team is good on defense, according to Cardenas.
“We have really phenomenal serve receives,” she said. “Our defense is really, really great.”
The coach said she would like to see her offense develop.
“We have some hitters who are really consistent but we’re playing cross-court pepper, we’re not really terminating the ball,” Cardenas said. “We need to figure out who’s going to be our hot hitters in the front.”
The season so far
Piedmont opened the season on August 26 with a 21-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-22 loss to visiting Head-Royce. Then came a come-from-behind 17-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-12 win at San Leandro on August 28. On August 30, Piedmont went 2-1 at the Highlander Tournament in Binks Gymnasium, beating AIMS College Prep, 25-6, 25-9; defeating Sonoma Valley, 25-15, 25-14; and falling to Granada, 20-25, 25-21, 15-11.
On September 2, the Highlanders lost at Berean Christian, 14-25, 20-25, 25-18, 20-25. Two days later, Piedmont beat host Hayward, 25-18, 25-14, 25-18. The Highlanders beat host Urban on September 9, 31-29, 25-23, 24-26, 25-9. The team then returned home on September 11 to defeat Lick-Wilmerding-San Francisco, 25-16, 25-14, 25-13.