Pushing Calaveras to five, the Lady Cougars varsity volleyball team lost by a 3-2 decision in the Foundation game on Monday, Aug. 29. They were then on the road at Tracy later in the week and fell there in straight sets.
“We are playing some tough teams in our preseason,” noted head coach Teresa Williamson. “It’s not about winning; it’s about getting ready for league.”
In the Foundation game, which featured just the varsity squad, the Lady Cougars battled tough at Calaveras. Game one went to the host team, 20-25, with Escalon coming back for a 25-16 win in game two. Then it went to Calaveras, 19-25, Escalon rallied for a 27-25 game four win and the hosts prevailed in the deciding fifth game, 5-15.
Jaden Scott had 12 kills, Kaitlyn Herrera added eight. Leading the way in digs was Natalie Bianchi with 17, Brielle Arauza had 12 and Tiana Lopez 11. Hannah Murphy added three aces, Scott had three blocks and Arauza dished out 14 assists.
Against Tracy, Escalon was a bit overwhelmed in the first two, 12-25, 12-25, but fought back in the third, ultimately losing that by a 24-26 final to go down by a 3-0 decision in the non-league contest.
“Tracy has a well-rounded team,” Williamson said. “We struggled our first two games but made some changes in game three and they played the best I’ve seen them play all season. We are doing some good things.”
Scott had four kills against Tracy and Bianchi had five digs. Jordin Jensen had two blocks and Arauza added seven assists.
This week, the varsity team was slated to play at Oakdale on Tuesday, after The Times went to press and will be home to host St. Mary’s today, Wednesday, Sept. 7. On Friday and Saturday, they head to the Golden Valley Tournament.
Junior Varsity
A thrilling win for Escalon’s JV girls saw them take a 2-1 victory off the court at Tracy.
“They’re an awesome competitor for us, we never know who’s taking a win that night,” said JV head coach Krystal Rodriguez. “We won the first set 25-15 and it felt like a breeze and I was afraid they wouldn’t bring the intensity we needed to the second set.”
Part of that premonition proved true, noted Rodriguez, as she said her team “experienced getting comfortable with play” and ultimately lost that set by a 20-25 margin.
In the third game, the JV girls got a little extra encouragement.
“With the help from our freshman and varsity teams’ support and cheers, we pushed through and took the final win, 15-10,” Rodriguez said. “Less errors on our side wins games, and we proved that in the first and third sets.
“I’m very proud of these girls and how well they can play together and work hard while having fun.”
The victory over Tracy puts the JV girls at 2-0 for the season.
“They’re a great defensive team and I can’t wait to see where this season is going to go,” Rodriguez added.
Freshmen
With first-year head coach Morgan Jensen – a former EHS player – at the helm, the youngest Lady Cougars battled to a two-set win in their contest against Tracy. Jensen said her team won the first game, 25-23, in a closely contested match, then capped the evening with a 25-19 win in game two for the 2-0 victory over the Lady Bulldogs.
