Volleyball
In Tuesday’s contest, the No. 2 teams and the No. 4 teams were on the sand first. Palm Desert’s No. 4 duo of Brick and Geller picked up a 2-0 win. Palm Desert’s No. 2 team of Valeria Arauz and Sofia Clarke fought valiantly, but lost two tight games, making the match 1-1 after the first round.
The second round featured the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 teams for both school’s playing simultaneously. The Aztecs’ No. 5 team of Bryce Moranda and Madisyn Smith cruised to a lopsided win to give the Aztecs a 2-1 lead.
The Aztecs’ No. 1 team of sisters Gianna and Zayda Jouan were in a battle against Artesia’s No. 1 team, but that sisterly connection and unspoken bond on the sand worked. They won the first game in a nail-biter, and then rolled to a win in the second game. When the final Artesia shot went into the net, the sisters hugged in celebration and the match was officially over as Palm Desert led 3-1.
The No. 3 squad of Amber Kardol and Hannah Albert also won their match 2-0 to finish off the 4-1 win for the Aztecs.
“I love fighting out here together with my sister, and I love that we won because, as the only senior on the beach team, that means I got to keep playing with her,” said Zayda.
Gianna, who also plays on the school’s indoor team, said she loves beach volleyball.
“(There’s) So many reasons to love it, mostly I like it because you get so many reps, it’s just the two of you out there, and it’s a good workout — and, of course, being with my sister,” Gianna said. “So many ways I like beach.”
This is the third year that Palm Desert has had a beach volleyball team. Xavier Prep is the only other desert school with an official CIF-SS squad.
Seven of the 10 girls who played for Palm Desert on Tuesday also played on the indoor team in the fall. It’s a whole different ballgame.
“I like that it’s outdoors and it is hard to move around in the sand at first, but you get used to it,” Brick said. “But in 2-on-2, you learn a lot of new things and new skills. I love it. It’s awesome.”
It means a lot to coach Chris Braun to have the first playoff game in the desert. Winning it doesn’t hurt either.
“I’m really happy, and I appreciate all the parents turning out,” Braun said of the group of about 40 spectators finding nearby shade while the girls’ played in the 90-degree heat. “It was a balanced match with close sets, but I think we have, across the board, a good solid level of play with our depth. All five teams play at a high level, so we don’t have much dropoff. I think that — and maybe to a small extent the heat — helped us.”
With the win, the Aztecs move into a first-round game on Thursday at 3 p.m. at Warren High School in Downey. Warren is 13-0 on the season.