Chico defends its home court
Beats PV 3-1 in last match; Northern Section playoff brackets released
CHICO >> With the Pleasant Valley volleyball team looking to clinch sole possession of the Eastern Athletic League title, the Chico High team was looking to defend its home court in both teams’ final regular season match Thursday night at Chico High.
The two Chico schools’ student sections packed Chico High’s main gym full as the schools looked for bragging rights ahead of playoffs.
Chico High won the first set 2515, the Vikings battled back and won the second set 25-17, but the
Panthers then won the final two sets 25-23, 25-17 to claim the 3-1 victory and even the regular season series record 1-1.
“It was our senior night, we wanted to win and we wanted to play together,” said Chico High senior captain and libero Kaya Gibbs about Thursday night’s match versus the first match between the two teams. “We’ve been in a little funk recently and I feel like our team is back and it’s the best feeling. Our energy on the court was different. Our team does best when we have high energy and last game we didn’t really play together and this game we played together and as a team.”
With the loss, Pleasant Valley (18-15, 8-2 EAL) tied Foothill (28-7, 8-2 EAL) for the EAL title, while Chico (20-18, 6-4 EAL) tied for third.
The beginning of the first set was a battle back and forth between the two teams, but the Panthers seemingly came out with more energy from the start. Chico took a 10-6 lead and then won nine out of the next 13 points to take a 19-10 lead. The Panthers then took a 22-10 lead, their biggest lead of the set, before closing it out with a 25-15 victory on an ace by senior outside hitter Kendal Kyle.
“I just felt like we didn’t come out as strong as we did in the other game (against Chico),” said Pleasant Valley’s captain and senior outside hitter Alli Mimbs.
Mimbs added PV needs to work on coming out strong and aggressive from the start before NSCIF playoffs begin.
Chico continued its momentum in the second set, winning the first two points, but the Vikings used their height advantage and won four straight points to take a 4-2 lead. The two teams battled back and forth and Chico tied the set at 12-12 when Panthers’ senior captain Maya Cann got a kill that deflected off a PV blocker. The two teams tied at 13, 14, and 15.
At 15-15, there was a twominute and 58-second stoppage in action due to what appeared to be a disagreement between coaches and the linesman, and after the stoppage PV went on a 10-2 run to end the second set and finished with a kill by Kayla Johnson.
Johnson had 10 kills on the night in addition to a pair of blocks.
Cann said the win by PV in the second set was the turning point for the Panthers. She said there was no message from any one team member, but the team felt the energy from the home crowd and was determined to seal the victory.
“We were like this is not happening tonight. We wanted it,” Cann said.
In the third set, Pleasant Valley started strong and appeared ready for a comeback, as it led 11-5. The Panthers battled back and tied the set at 13, 17, 19, 22, and 23. Chico took its first lead of the set at 18-17 on an ace by Cann and led just five points in the third set, but the Panthers won five of the final six points to win the set.
In the fourth and final set, Chico led until the two teams tied at 8-8. PV took a timeout at 13-9, but the Vikings were unable to take the lead throughout the set. The PV captain Mimbs made a statement in her final regular season set on offense and defense, blocking shots and leaping above the net for kills, but it was not enough.
Chico used an abundance of cross-court kills to seal the match.
Mimbs is a four-year varsity player who finished her final match with 12 kills, three aces, two blocked shots, and six digs. Sophie Winter led PV in kills with 13 and in digs with 20, while adding three aces. Kayla Johnson had 10 kills and two blocks, and Kendal Thau had 10 digs. Grace Ferro led with 49 assists.
“Alli makes experience plays and it shows and she’s really been a good influence and good role model that you have to play confident,” said PV coach JJ Mitchell.
For Chico, Cann and CJ Baker had 10 kills each, and Gibbs led in aces with three and digs with 12. Rebecca Digmon and Addie Konopka led with two blocks each, Cann led with 17 assists, and Konopka had 10 digs.
Northern Section playoffs
With the regular season finished, Friday morning the coaches and officials from the EAL met to discuss Northern Section playoff seedings.
Pleasant Valley claimed the NSCIF D-II No. 1 seed with a 2-0 record against Foothill in the regular season. The Cougars are the No. 2 seed, and there was a tie between Chico and Shasta for the No. 3 and 4 seed. After both teams split the regular season record, the EAL’s bylaws state that the next tiebreaker is a coin flip, which Shasta won. Shasta was named the No. 3 seed, Chico the No. 4 seed, and Corning No. 5.
The top three seeds get a bye and begin play at 7 p.m. Nov. 1. Chico and Corning will play at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Chico High to determine which team advances to play Pleasant Valley on Nov. 1. Shasta and Foothill will play at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 at Foothill.
In the D-III bracket, West Valley is the No. 1 seed, Orland is No. 2, Gridley is No. 3, Yreka is No. 4, and Lassen No. 5. Gridley and Orland received first-round byes and will play at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 at Orland.
In D-IV University Prep is No. 1, Willows is No. 2, Colusa is No. 3, Williams is No. 4 and Pierce is No. 5. Willows begins play at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 at home against Colusa.
In D-V Trinity is No. 1, East Nicolaus is No. 2, Hamilton is No. 3, Durham is No. 4, Quincy is No. 5 and Portola is No. 6. Durham hosts Quincy at 7 p.m. Thursday and Hamilton hosts Portola at 6 p.m. Thursday. The top two teams were given byes.
The championships for all divisions will be held on Nov. 5 at Foothill High School in Palo Cedro. D-V will play at 11 a.m. D-IV will play at 1 p.m., D-III will play at 3 p.m. and D-II will play at 5 p.m. and D-VI will be played at 7 p.m.
The cost of admission for NSCIF playoff games is $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens age 60-and-over, $5 for students with an ASB card, $5 for students in kindergarten through eighth grade with an adult, and $15 for an unaccompanied K-8 child.