LATHROP — After dropping the first two sets Tuesday, Lathrop battled back to take the third and fought early in the fourth before fading and dropping a four-set contest 17-25, 19-25, 25-14, 17-25 to Tokay in non-league volleyball action at Lathrop High. 

“Tokay is a great team and we fought hard,” Spartans coach Heather Anderson said. “But I think we got tired toward the end and maybe we need to condition a little bit more. 

“We’re going to play some long matches and some of them are going to go to five, so we are going to have to be able to push through.”

Karina Chavez was all over the floor for Lathrop (0-2), making 25 assists with four digs, two aces and two kills. 

“I think our communication was a little off in that fourth set,” Chavez said. “If we talk, I think we will be able to get it and be good on defense.”

Jashita Faa’lii had eight kills, four digs and two aces for the Spartans. Malia Akers added seven kills, Krystal Tempra had 10 digs and two aces, Myani Thornton seven digs and five kills, Harjass Kaur five digs and three aces, Mary Cotton four kills and two blocks and Joselyn Hurtado three digs and three aces. 

Faa’lii’s kill at 3-3 in the third set gave Lathrop a lead it would not relinquish. The fourth set started out tight with the game being tied at 1,2,3,5 and 7 before the Tigers (2-2) went on a 9-3 run followed by a 6-2 run to pull away for the win. 

Sophomore

Lathrop 2, Tokay 1

With the score knotted at 13 in the third set, Spartans setter Jennifer Santillan snuck a setter dump over the net and followed that with an ace to clinch the win, 25-21, 21-25, 17-15.

Santillan had 14 assists and three aces. Hailey Hunter added nine assists, five digs and nine assists followed by Khiya Thornton with four kills and two blocks, Charlen Bernal with three kills, Alexia Chalender with two kills and Nicole Vasconcelos with five aces.  

Freshman

Tokay 2, Lathrop 1

The Spartans won the first set 25-13 before being edged 23-25 in the second and handled 6-15 in the third. 

Erika Menchaca had five aces for Lathrop, Desiree Ambatale added two and Ke’mya Baarnett played aggressively at the net.