Taylor Bays can serve. And she can dig, too.

The Buffaloes junior reeled off five consecutive service points – with a phenomenal dig in that run – to break the sixth tie of the third set and bring her team to match point in a 25-15, 25-20, 25-21 sweep of host Sierra in Valley Oak League volleyball action Tuesday.

“I was running for it and I was kind of nervous,” Bays said of her dig. “I dove for it the best I could.”

“On my serves I was just trying to focus on getting it in.”

After the Timberwolves (1-3 VOL, 2-6 overall) broke Bays’ serve to make the score 24-20, they managed one more point until Stephanie Aschenbrenner (22 assists) stepped out of her setting shoes and into her tipping shoes, placing the ball into an open spot for the win. 

“I was feeling it,” Aschenbrenner said. “It had been open on the corner so I figured why not try for it.

“I thought our digs were pretty good and the hitters were ready to do their job.”

 After a relatively easy 25-15 first set when Manteca (3-1, 5-4) never trailed, the Buffaloes found themselves down 19-14 before battling back to take the lead at 21-20. Following a kill by Celina Burks that made the score 22-20, Mildred Perez (six kills, three blocks) got three blocks in a row for the 25-20 win.

 “We have had some other games where we have got behind, hung in tough and came back,” Manteca coach Kevin Bolding said. “It seems like we don’t get rattled, which is a good thing, for especially as young as we are with just four seniors. We showed a lot of maturity to hang in there and get it done.

“We seem to have a lot of fight.”

Prior to Bays’ run in the third set, Sierra held the lead four times and never trailed by more than two points until the end.

“The girls showed heart in those final two games,” Sierra coach Trinity Johnson said. “Being a crosstown rival played into it.

“They fought and they battled. That first loss only ignited a fire in them.”

Morgan Miramontes had seven kills and seven digs for the Buffaloes. Melissa Hansen added 16 digs and Alyssa Burch eight kills.

For the Timberwolves, Taylor Moss had 16 assists and eight digs, Kristen Maestretti 15 digs and nine kills and Morgan Willis four kills and three blocks.



Sophomore

Manteca 2, Sierra 0

The Buffaloes swept the Timberwolves 25-17, 25-17.

Tawny Deerinck had eight kills for Manteca, Emily Yu seven kills, Karisa Rubio 14 assists, Sarah Inderbitzin five blocks and Alison Hoyer four blocks.

Genevieve Hammarstrom had five digs and Karla De La Cueva two kills for Sierra.



Freshman

Sierra 2, Manteca 0

After a close first game at 25-23, the Timberwolves pulled away in the second 25-14.

Carly Mahurin had 10 service points and three aces for Sierra. Lindsey Walljasper added four blocks and three kills and Kylie Matteroli played well as an outside hitter.

Meghan Garlets and Brooke Freeman each had three aces and one kill for the Buffaloes.