Ripon Christian coach Kayla Kootstra knows when to call a timeout.
While the visiting sixth-seeded Knights won the first two sets 25-15, 25-13 against No. 3 Lathrop, Ripon Christian was floundering in the third set trailing 12-6 when Kootstra called a timeout.
Kylie Koolhass got a kill out of the timeout for the Knights sending Baily Brayton to the service line where she rattled off five consecutive points behind a pair of aces with Ripon Christian outscoring the Spartans 19-12 the rest of the way to win the third set 26-24 at Greg Leland Gym and advance to the quarterfinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III volleyball playoffs in Grass Valley on Tuesday against Nevada Union at 6 p.m.
“We rattled off I think six straight points to tie it up after that timeout,” Kootstra said. “I would argue that we were the better team tonight, and we had them on the ropes and a little bit out of sorts not playing the way they wanted to, and then we kind of let them back in.
“I told the girls there was a giant red button on the floor and that I needed them all to press it because it was our reset button. They all reached down and pressed it, and it worked. I know that sounds corny, but it got us back into our play. We can only control our side of the court and we were doing a great job of that for most of the night. I was proud of them for settling in and battling back because that is not the team we have always been all season. To see them be there now is a proud coach moment.”
Brayton finished with 14 kills and two blocks to go with her two aces.
“We work on serving all season because missed serves is a big deal to us,” Brayton said. “So going in, I tell myself to not focus on what’s going on around the court because they have a loud student section. I tell myself I’m the right kid at the right time and that I have to put it in right now.
“We knew they were seeded higher than us, and we came in with really high energy and this is the best we have played as a team all season.”
Koolhaas finished with six kills, including back-to-back kills in the third set, and two blocks.
“With the middles it all starts with the passers and the setters,” Koolhaas said. “They have been doing a great job of feeding me.
“It was all about the people around me. So credit to my passers and setters.”
Alyssa Hofman tallied 14 kills, two aces and two blocks for the Knights (16-15).
“Tonight we just had to control what was on our side,” Hofman said. “And not let what was going on with the other side or anything else get into our heads and put us off.”
Ripon Christian’s Lauren Mouw tallied 18 digs, Rhian Heuvel 19 assists, Annika Jung eight kills, Brooklynn Postma nine assists and Maddie Sabala three aces and three blocks.
Siliana Fa’ataualofa paced Lathrop (27-4) with eight kills, three aces and two digs. Breana Wiseman added five kills and two digs, Jadore Dixon 14 digs and an ace, Erin Chunn four kills, three digs and two aces and Sariah Hilton 15 assists and six digs.
“All the credit goes to Ripon Christian,” Lathrop coach Toa Fa’ali’i said. “They are a good, well-coached team, and the players are really good. We tried really hard and not to take anything away from the girls we had a great season. We won league and our first playoff game.”
Ripon 3, River Valley 0
Top-seeded Ripon (26-4) took care of No. 8 River Valley (15-16), 25-17, 25-12, 25-15.
Fourth-seeded Roseville (20-17) visits for a semifinal next Tuesday after fending off fifth-seeded Yuba City, 22-25, 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 15-10.
