VOLLEYBALL
Michelle Mccormick implored the Wildcats to keep their heads up and be proud of their historic season so far.
“I think we deserved to be here, but we didn't pull it out in the end,” Gracie Bearden, 16, a Sonora junior captain, said moments after the Saturday match ended Sonora's win streak. “We're very proud. It's disappointing not to win.”
Bearden said she and her teammates still hope to make the best of their opportunity in the state playoffs.
“I think we're going to work even harder,” Bearden said. “And hopefully win state.”
Alexis Herfurth, 18, a senior captain and fouryear varsity volleyball player for Sonora, said after the match against Escalon, “This is the most accomplished team I've been part of in four years. Overall we had a great season.
“Escalon has a great team. We knew they were going to be tough. But we're still pumped going into the state playoffs. We have a second chance, which is great.”
Nobody can take away what this year's Sonora Wildcats varsity volleyball team has done, winning 22 straight matches including their 15-0 run in the Mother Lode League, Herfurth said.
“Being undefeated in the Mother Lode League,” Herfurth said, “that's a huge accomplishment.”
Sonora Wildcats Head Coach Amy Wahlbrink said Saturday was not Sonora's day, but the Wildcats finished so high in the section playoffs that they automatically qualified for the state playoffs and a chance at redemption.
“We didn't show up today,” Wahlbrink said. “We unfortunately had all of our players have an off day, collectively.
Sometimes, it's a couple players who have an off day. We haven't had that, when the whole team did not show up. We'll be back in the gym Monday and work on it. The sun will rise. We will get to go again.”