S3 GROSSMONT d. N2 FRESNO CITY, 25-13, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21
(WALNUT) -- Grossmont College scored four players in double figures in kills and overcame 19 service errors to get past Fresno City in four sets in a quarterfinals victory at the 3C2A State Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday. It was the Griffins 21st consecutive win while they ended a 16-match win string by the Rams.
Grossmont (27-1) came into the tourney as the #3 seed, but were ranked as the South's #1 team for most of the regular season as the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference undefeated champions.
The Griffins had a decided edge in digs, 69-50, and disrupted Fresno's passing game with hard serving.
"Our game plan is to always use an aggressive serve to get the other team out of system, and while we had more giveaway points due to nerves, I'm okay with going after aces over losing a point" said Grossmont head coach Brooke Callahan. "In the past few state tournaments, we've had a go-to #1 hitter like Lexi Morris and Madi Bogle, but this is the first time we have been scoring from different sources. Opponents have to respect that we can score from the outside, at opposite and in the middle. We hit really well in the first two sets. It helps also that we have such a steady libero who is going to dig everything."
Avery Banaag led that Griffins' defensive effort with a match-high 21 digs to go with seven assists. Kate Beezer floored 13 kills with 11 digs while Alyson Guise pounded 13 kills (hit .478) with four aces. Joanna Verdugo-Del Real added 10 kills and 16 digs while lefty opposite Amanda Pena ripped 10 kills (.364). Alyssa De Young added six kills and five blocks.
For Fresno (26-5), All-American Druegan Davis notched a triple-double on 14 kills, 11 digs and 10 set assists, and Mia Dilley was solid on 19 digs while serving three aces.
"Grossmont was scrapping, outdefended us, and the middle (Guise) made it tough on us," said Fresno head coach Kieran Roblee. "We've had a good tradition of making it to the state tournament, but this sophomore class was special. We had such tremendous sophomore leadership all season and it's why were able to get here again. Super proud of them."
In the opening set, Grossmont's serve resulted in three straight aces by Guise, then Pena was a perfect 4-for-4 on attacks. The Griffins hit .407 in a 12-point win. In set #2, It was more solid hitting thanks in part to the setting of Trendler. An ace by Verdugo-Del Real helped Grossmont open a 13-7 lead. Fresno eventually tied it at 19-19 before Beezer bombed a pair of kills to close out a 3-point win and a 2-1 sets lead.
In the third, Fresno trailed 14-11, but the Rams went on a 6-1 run capped by a Davis kill to lead 17-15. A sky hook type kill by Davis landed for set point, cutting Grossmont's lead to 2-1.
Grossmont's Banaag served a tremendous 7-0 run to help her squad take a commanding 15-7 lead. Down 19-11, FCC refused to quit and scored the next five points, including an ace by Dilley. Fresno saved three match points, the last on a kill by Katelyn Goforth, but Guise closed it out with a kill after a timeout to clinch the victory.
S1 SAN DIEGO MESA d. N4 AMERICAN RIVER, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22
(WALNUT)--Riding the thundering swings of Kailyn Jager from the left toward the middle and Olivia Ostler on the right side, South #1 seed San Diego Mesa College advanced with a sweep over American River in the final quarterfinals match of four played Friday in the 3C2A State Women's Volleyball Championship played at Mt. San Antonio College.
Jager blasted 19 kills (hit .260) and added 13 digs and two blocks while Ostler hammered 12 kills as the duo shredded the Beavers defense. Mesa (27-2) setter Jaiden Mojica dished out 35 assists while Emily Eltrich delivered seven kills, 11 digs and two aces.
Mesa is 27-0 v. every team not known as its semifinal opponent as this sets up an all-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference semifinal on Saturday against Grossmont, the only team to defeat the Olympians this season--twice in conference play.
Mesa earned the top seed in the South due to its better RPI numbers compared to Grossmont.
"Jager has been our kill leader all year, but I think she has gotten even better, a more complete player as a finisher for us in the postseason," said Mesa head coach Bobbi Jo Stall-Vest. "Ostler is a redshirt sophomore who has been with our program for three years. She has developed into an outstanding opposite, raising her game this season. I really think we served tough and our defense made plays v. them all over the floor."
American River (24-7) saw an 11-match win streak end as the Beavers were paced by Morgan Castaneda with nine kills, Reese Ampi's 10 digs, plus five kills an three blocks by Allaina Houk.
Beavers head coach Carson Lowden said, "Our game plan was to defend their pins as best we could, but they just played very clean. I never felt we could get going offensively. We've been at our best when our two best hitters are scoring, but not tonight."
In the opening set, Mesa outscored ARC on attacks, 14-4, with Jager landing seven. A dump kill off the rim off the net dropped in for Mojica that closed out an 8-point first set win.
In set #2, the Beavers jumped ahead 5-0, but Mesa tied it at 9-9. The teams continued to trade points as Ostler rifled back-to-back kills for a 19-17 Olympians advantage. A Jager kill and then an ARC ball-handling error finished out a 4-point Mesa win and a 2-0 sets lead.
In third game, ARC again went up 4-0 only to see Mesa run off nine straight points on a serving run by Mojica. Attack errors by both teams littered the set with ARC tying it at 19-19. But Mesa's Eltrich unleashe two big kills and then Jager landed a howitzer blast for match point and the sweep.
The South region has three teams in the final four after being left out of the semifinals at both the 2021 and '22 tournaments. The South is looking for its first state title since Irvine Valley in 2017. Feather River, the defending state champions, is the only North team remaining and faces IVC at 2 p.m. Grossmont plays Mesa at 5 p.m.
Release by Robert Lewis, 3C2A/CCCWVCA SID