PALO ALTO – As she floated through the air in search of balls to spike for kills or block for points in a victory against Monta Vista, it would almost seem impossible to believe that Sophie Pan is still trying to get her timing down.
But the decisive and athletic Palo Alto volleyball standout still feels a little rusty after overcoming her latest setback.
“Physically, I feel pretty good,” Pan said, before adding, “But a big thing for my position is the connection with the setter, and that’s the main thing I need to re-strengthen again, coming back.”
In a career that has been defined by her unwavering determination and ability to come back from injury after injury, Pan has overcome perhaps her toughest challenge yet to play a starring role on a team expected to contend for a Central Coast Section title.
She knows how to deal with physical pain.
The Vikings senior missed parts of her first three varsity seasons with a sprained ankle – two of them – and one broken pinky.
None of those injuries kept her out for too long, the determined middle blocker attacking rehab like she does attempted spikes.
“I’m still improving, regardless of the amount of injuries,” Pan said. “I think that helps me each time I get held back.”
But after playing three phenomenal games to start what was shaping up to be a banner season, a routine medical checkup revealed that what she called her “vitals” were out of whack.
Pan – who said she felt fine – was understandably frustrated.
“It’s not like having to wear a boot (for a sprained ankle) or having a concussion, where you feel like you’re hurt,” Pan said. “I just had to stop, and it felt like it was for no reason.”
While the Palo Alto team – once again one of the best in the CCS – surpassed 20 wins for the second year in a row, its standout senior had stay away.
As doctors figured out how to get her healthy, Pan spent two weeks away from volleyball – and school – entirely.
It was during this time that friends such as Sophie Mies visited Pan and did her part to keep Pan’s spirits high.
It was something of a role reversal for Pan, who was described by both Mies and her coach, Chris Crader, as the funniest person on the team and a positive force for the Vikings.
“Even though she’s hurt for a lot of some seasons, she’s always willing to help her teammates, whether that be at practice or just on the bench and cheering for us,” Mies said.
Palo Alto’s Sophie Pan (13) and teammate Sophie Mies (11) have been best friends for years (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
After doctors helped her recover, Pan was cleared to return to school in mid-September, and soon after partook in very light practice drills that involved serving and whatnot without jumping.
Though she was initially confined to just a half-hour of light exercise per day, Pan’s mother, Teresa Chen, said it was obvious that her daughter wanted to do so much more.
“If there’s something she wants to do, she puts in 100 percent effort into the things she wants to achieve,” Chen said. “Why she can go this far is because of her passion for volleyball, and how she wants to be better and be her best.”
Pan attacked her conditioning and drills with ferocity that surprised no one, especially her coach.
“She’s never been a woe is me kind of person or someone to feel sorry for herself,” Crader said. “She’s just like, ‘This is where I’m at, and I’m going to try and get healthy and keep being part of this team.’”
After missing 22 matches starting in early September, Pan finally made her return to the court on Oct. 12 against Leigh.
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And what a return it was.
After checking in as a substitute, the 6-foot Pan had blocks for back-to-back points.
“I was scared before that, that it wouldn’t feel the same, that I couldn’t jump or that I’d lose everything that I’d worked for,” Pan remembered. “But I think it was really reassuring to get those two plays and feel like I’m still working.”
Since then, Pan has been working herself back into game shape, now capable of playing most of a five-set match with few issues.
The Carnegie Mellon commit with plans of studying machine learning and artificial intelligence at the Pittsburgh university will also play volleyball at the collegiate level.
But for a senior who has already been through so much at Palo Alto, Pan still wants to finish her prep career strong.
“I’ll be really sad if we can’t finish on a high note, because I love these girls,” Pan said.
Palo Alto’s Sophie Pan (13) celebrates a point with Palo Alto’s Sophie Mies (11) and Palo Alto’s Maura Hambly (2) against Monta Vista in the fourth set at Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)