Escalon’s varsity volleyball girls played their first two Trans-Valley League contests this past week, earning a split.
They fell to Hilmar in a five-set marathon, then swept past Orestimba.
Opening up on the road at Hilmar on Tuesday, Sept. 8, scores were 15-25, 18-25, 25-19, 25-21, 13-15. After falling behind 2-0 Escalon clawed their way back to get even with the host Lady Yellowjackets, 2-2, but ultimately fell in the fifth and deciding set.
“Hilmar was such a heartbreaker,” admitted first year head coach Stephanie Ceja. “We started very slow and it showed. But our girls battled back to force a fifth set and led most of the final set. I think the pressure got to some of our players and we couldn’t hold on to our lead.”
Against Hilmar, Emma Strong had 12 kills, 12 digs and two aces; Avery Bartelink added eight kills, 13 digs and one block. Haven MacKinnon had six kills and two blocks; Riley Titsworth had 10 digs and two aces. Also, Aniston Hunt had 25 assists and 11 digs; Arie Paulsen had eight kills and one block; Brynn Caton had 10 digs.
“It was definitely a learning moment for the girls and our goal is to come back stronger when we see them second round,” Ceja said.
Hosting Orestimba on Sept. 10, it was a 3-0 win for the varsity girls in scores of 25-10, 25-11, 25-12. It was a solid victory, as the girls played on their home court and controlled the tempo of the contest.
“Our girls were able to bounce back from the loss (to Hilmar) and took care of business,” noted Ceja.
Hunt had four kills, four aces, three digs and seven assists; Bartelink had six kills, eight aces, two blocks, nine digs and seven assists. Paulsen had three kills and three blocks; Titsworth added eight digs; Caton and Kendall Fox had four digs each.
JV scores were not available for the week’s contests at presstime and the freshman girls took the court for one match only, on the road at Hilmar.
Frosh head coach Mya Scott said her team fell in straight sets in the Sept. 8 contest, losing 13-25 and battling to a 25-27 loss in the second set.
“Paitynn Russell had three aces and Evelynn Strong had fives digs,” Scott said of top efforts.
All three Escalon squads were scheduled to play at Ripon Christian for a TVL match on Sept. 15 and host River Islands in non-league action on Thursday, Sept. 17.
FLAG FOOTBALL
Closing out their preseason schedule, Escalon’s varsity flag football girls took a loss and earned a win in their two contests this past week.
They were on the road and took a tough loss to Lodi on Sept. 8, shut out by a 27-0 final.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, they welcomed Vanguard College Prep out of Modesto and clawed their way past the visiting Lions by a 54-0 final.
Head coach Danelle Hagen said touchdowns in the contest came from Kenadie Baker, Rebecca Wampler, Ava Girardi, Milea Krieger, Yesenia Marsellis and Dani Hagen. Adding a 2-point conversion on the night was Payton Abbott, with 1-point conversions after touchdowns recorded by Marsellis, Baker, Lola Duenas, and Brooklyn Dugo.
No games are on the varsity flag football schedule this week, though Trans-Valley League action kicks off next week with a road game Sept. 22 at Ripon followed by a Sept. 24 contest at Sonora. The girls will be at home on Tuesday, Sept. 29 to face off against Hilmar.
For the JV girls, they earned a win at Lodi on Sept. 8 by a 12-0 final, their only game of the week.
They are scheduled to travel to Ripon on Sept. 22 and then host Hilmar on Sept. 29.
