It was a fast-paced week of volleyball for Escalon’s varsity Lady Cougars, as they took part in the CIF Division V State Girls Volleyball Championships, winning two matches before losing in the regional semifinals.
They went in as the number three seed in the North and put away number 14 Wonderful College Prep Academy of Delano 3-0 on Tuesday, Nov. 11 with scores of 25-13, 25-19, 25-18. From there, they hosted number six Kelseyville on Thursday, Nov. 13. Kelseyville was a 3-0 opening round winner in their match against number 11 seed KIPP King of San Lorenzo.
Escalon took the opening set, 25-19, against Kelseyville on Thursday, but then fell 23-25 in set two and 21-25 in set three, suddenly facing elimination.
Head coach Shay Beam said the message to her squad, trailing 2-1 to Kelseyville and facing the pivotal do or die set four, was simple.
“In between sets three and four, I just told them, if you lose this set you’re done. Are you ready to be done,” Beam explained. “And again, the same thing between sets four and five, now it’s 2-2, game to 15, short game, do you want to be done or do you want to keep going?”
Her players responded with the effort on the court, putting Kelseyville away with a 25-18 win in set four, 15-7 in the fifth and deciding set.
“Honestly I think our energy on the court, the way we hype each other up is just so special; I’ve never had this with any team before and it really helps us push through,” junior Brynn Caton said of battling back in the quarterfinals against Kelseyville.
She had several strong serving runs during the course of the season, helping her team earn some points, and said for her, serving is more mental than anything else.
“I try to just drown out the outside noise and focus on what I can do,” she explained, adding that she and her teammates are also happy to have some of that ‘noise’ coming from the student cheering section. “It’s so appreciated … they come out and support us no matter what even at away games and we can’t thank them enough.”
For junior Aniston Hunt, this year’s success and strong run in the NorCals was due to one thing.
“One word I could use to describe this team is family, that’s kind of what our whole team is focused around. That’s the one word we’ve used all season to support ourselves,” said Hunt. “We’ve worked so hard all season so it’s such an honor to be creating history in Escalon’s program and we all love each other so much, we have such good team chemistry, so it’s great to be playing with all of our best friends and just going so far into the season.”
Freshman Avery Bartelink said she stays focused on what’s happening on the court, which helps her keep her nerves at bay.
“I get nervous but I try to shut everything out and I know my team is going to be there for me so I can power through,” Bartelink said. “I’m very glad to be part of such a special group.”
Sophomore Emma Strong said the key moment in Thursday’s quarterfinal win came after the third set, with the host Lady Cougars finding themselves down 2-1.
“After the third set we really collected ourselves, we got together, we told each other, we said that we’re going to be there for each other and make sure after one point we’re shaking it off and we’re going to the next,” she said. “We really put our foot on the pedal.”
Escalon came back from the deficit to take the next two sets, ultimately winning 3-2 over Kelseyville in the marathon two-hour match.
Coming off a loss in the semifinals of the Section competition, the coach said her team wanted to make the most of their appearance in the NorCals.
“The game against Sonora for the Section semifinals was a very mental game for us, after that game we were just mentally exhausted,” Beam explained. “So, coach Steph (assistant coach Stephanie Ceja) and I were just like, hey, you made it to the State Tournament. That, in itself, is a big deal. Let’s have some fun, let’s put some smiles on our faces, let’s take a little bit of the strain and the pressure off of ourselves and let’s keep playing together as a team. They love each other, I think anyone can tell that, they’re smiling, they’re shoving each other in a loving way … they’re fun to watch.”
Beam also offered kudos to the student cheering section and the big home crowds that supported the volleyball girls throughout the campaign and deep into the postseason.
“They’ve been amazing this season … these boys, watching them cheer on volleyball and just staying in it with us, when we’re mentally down, they’re picking us back up, they’re getting us back in the game,” Beam said.
Thursday’s win got Escalon to the NorCal regional semifinals and they traveled to Trans-Valley League rival Hilmar for that contest on Saturday evening, Nov. 15.
After taking the first set by a 25-13 score, Escalon then lost the next three to the host Yellowjackets, falling by a 3-1 final to end their season. Escalon battled to a 25-27 loss in set two, then fell 18-25, 23-25.
“I think we came out in set one and took care of some serious business but Hilmar fired back very quickly in sets two and three,” Beam said. “Having played each other twice before (in TVL action) we know each other’s tendencies so both teams were well informed.”
During the regular season, Hilmar won in Escalon, the Lady Cougars defeated Hilmar on the road. But this time, it was the home team Hilmar squad coming away with the win.
“By the time set two was well underway, our girls then started to push and it was just too late,” admitted Beam. “I think that loss carried over to set three. I have to say our girls battled to the very, very end.”
Hilmar, the number two seed, was to host number four Colusa in the North regional finals, with the winner to square off against the number two Morro Bay-number four Elsinore match winner from the South regional finals in the Nov. 21 state championship. Escalon finished the season with an 18-16 overall record and long runs in the Section and State tournaments.
“We could tell how much they wanted their season to continue and it’s heartbreaking that we couldn’t get it done,” added Beam. “Over this post season these girls have gotten so many compliments on their progress, that’s all we could ever ask for as coaches. Coach Steph and I are so, so proud of this group of girls.”
