The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Volleyball
more kills as the Eagles defeated Diamond Bar 25-18, 25-22, 25-22 in a CIF Southern Section Division 5 girls volleyball quarterfinals match.
Rancho Christian (25-7) also secured a spot in this season’s CIF State playoffs with the victory Wednesday evening. The Eagles will be back in action Saturday evening, when they host Culver City (19-12) in the section semifinals.
“I just love playing volleyball, and I’m happy to be back out here and doing what I can to help the team win,” Thomas said.
Thomas carried much of the offensive load early in the season while Rancho Christian waited for key transfers to be eligible again after the sit-out period. Two of those transfers helped the Eagles have a balanced attack Wednesday. Sophomore middle blocker Suzy Kemle recorded nine kills, while sophomore opposite hitter Sophia Duguid added seven. Duguid’s sister Mackenzie, a freshman outside hitter, chipped in with six more kills.
“It’s good that we are really spreading the ball around a little more,” Rancho Christian coach Luci Villafana said. “We have relied so heavily on Sav in the past, especially early on this season, so it’s great to everyone making contributions.
“It’s taken some time for the newcomers to build that chemistry with our setter (junior Aubrey Tobias), but those connections get stronger every match.”
Diamond Bar (21-9) grabbed a 5-1 lead in the opening set, with senior middle blocker Jaeda Whitmire hammering down two kills and senior defensive specialist Kavya Narayanan serving up an ace. That lead was short-lived, however, as Rancho Christian went on a 13-3 run to take the lead. Thomas had three
kills and two aces during that stretch. Diamond Bar battled and cut the deficit to 22-18, but Kemle helped close out the first game with a pair of kills.
The second set followed the same script at the start. Junior outside hitter Eleni Kort served up two aces to help Diamond Bar race to a 5-1 lead. Once again, Rancho Christian answered back and took an 11-9 lead. Diamond Bar was clinging to a 22-21 lead late in the set when a disputed call changed the momentum. The Brahmas appeared to dig a tipped ball, but the head official ruled it hit the floor. Rancho Christian went on a 4-1 run to capture the set.
The third set was the tightest, with neither team holding a lead of more than three points. Diamond Bar continued its strong serving performance (nine aces in the match) and had a 19-16 advantage. Rancho Christian conjured up some late magic, tied the score at 21 and took the lead on a solo block by Kemle. The match concluded on a combo block by Kemle and Sophia Duguid.
“I tell them not to look at the scoreboard. Look at your teammates and find that energy to fight back,” Villafana said about her team erasing deficits in each set Wednesday. “One point can change the momentum of a set. I think we saw that a few times tonight with a big kill or block. I’m just proud of them for showing that mental toughness when we’re down.”
Whitmire recorded eight kills, and junior middle blocker Zariah Crosby added five kills to lead the way for Diamond Bar. The Brahmas struggled on the outside, however, and finished the match with as many attacking errors as kills (21). Whitmire and Crosby each had two solo blocks, while Narayanan and junior libero Jourdyn Ozeta Banks served up three aces apiece for Diamond Bar.