Sierra’s light pre-league schedule resumed Thursday with a four-game win (25-11, 25-16, 16-25, 25-18) over visiting Stagg.

The fun will begin soon enough for the now 2-0 Timberwolves, who cap nonleague action next Tuesday when they host a tough Tracy club. The following night they head to Sonora to take on a Valley Oak League co-champion. Then the other co-titlist, Oakdale, visits on Sept. 23.

“We’ll have two tough ones back-to-back next week,” Sierra coach Trinity Johnson said. “(The Tracy match) is going to be a momentum builder for Wednesday.”

Thursday’s win was a nice confidence booster for her young team with just four seniors. Sierra proved it can be dominant early on, and later showed killer instinct when the going got tough.

Gianna Lenoci powered the Timberwolves through what started out to be a nip-and-tuck opening set. They held an 11-10 lead until she served 11 straight points and racked up much of her match-high 12 aces in the process. Stagg stopped the bleeding with a kill, but Sierra ran the table from there to take the game.

Sierra struggled early in the second game, trailing 3-7 before going on a 10-2 run. Stagg was done in by five service errors throughout.

The Delta Queens started the third set with yet another service error, but they didn’t trail since. Roles were reversed in Game 4, when Sierra took the lead at 2-1 and never looked back. Lenoci struck for three straight aces to give the T’Wolves a 22-16 lead. Later, Danielle Parham pounded a kill to give them match point.

Parham finished with three kills and three digs. Lenoci added three kills and two digs, while Olivia Higby churned out seven kills and three digs.

“We played really well as a team,” Johnson said. “I think we got ahead of ourselves a little bit after winning the first two games. It was an eye-opener for them. It was a slow climb back, but ultimately we got the win.”



Sophomore

Sierra 2, Stagg 0

Briana Osegura posted four kills, while Alyssa Taboa turned in three aces and two digs in the Sierra sweep (25-14, 25-19).



Freshman

Sierra 2, Stagg 1

The Timberwolves escaped with a tightly-contested victory (25-19, 23-25, 17-15).

Rachel Hamilton notched 16 service points, five of which went for aces. Louisa Hunter contributed eight points and two aces. McKenna Albrecht and Vanessa Benham each had three hits and a kill at the net.