After sweeping Sierra in the first two sets and not trailing until the third, East Union found itself trailing 13-17 before Kiana Day got a kill and then reeled off nine consecutive service points to help give the visiting Lancers complete a 25-11, 25-17, 25-22 sweep on Tuesday.
“We have been practicing a lot on serving,” Day said. “This was good preparation for our upcoming matches.”
The third game was close throughout with five ties before East Union (3-2 Valley Oak League, 7-5 overall) took the lead for good — and for the first time in the set — at 18-17 on a four-hit error by the Timberwolves (0-4, 2-7).
“Everyone played tonight,” Lancers coach Chelsea Herrera said. “And when everyone plays, they get kind of goofy.
“They had fun and volleyball is a balance of having fun and being serious. Tonight, they kind of slacked a little bit but at the end but they got down to business and finished it.”
Savannah Lebarre had the hot hand for East Union with 17 kills — three from the back row — two blocks and two aces.
“I am ready to hit whether it is from the front row or the back,” Lebarre said. “I just concentrate on getting to the set.”
In the first game, Angelica Mercado (nine digs and two aces) helped the Lancers pull away with an 11-point service run to give East Union a 22-8 lead. Lebarre hammered six kills during that spurt.
Day finished with nine kills, four aces and three digs. Teammate Alexus Surnip had 33 assists, four aces and four kills with one of her aces ending the first set and one of her kills ending the match. Miekayla Surnip added nine kills, three digs and an ace and Jaidyn Valencia chipped in five digs, two kills and an ace.
Ashlee-Lynn Matteroli had 10 digs, seven assists, two aces and a kill for Sierra. Teresa Benham (kill) and Sophia Schmiedt added seven digs each and Stella Brierly had five digs and four kills.
Junior varsity
East Union 2, Sierra 0
Leilani Viloria set the tone for the Lancers with nine service points in the first set of a 25-11, 25-20 win.
Viloria finished with three kills and three aces and Alejandra Rodriguez (six assists) had four service points in that first game.
East Union’s Celeste Guerrero posted 20 assists. Danielle James added five assists, an ace and a kill; Julieanna Padilla chipped in five kills; Nicole Blair had four kills and an ace; Isabella Price had an ace and two kills; Emma Valdez served two aces and Alivia Gordon had one block.
Freshman
Sierra 2, East Union 0
The Timberwolves swept the Lancers in close games, 25-21, 25-22.
Elizabeth Lopez led the Lancers with seven assists, four kills and three aces. Janessa Godoy added five aces and three kills, Kaitlyn Reyes chipped in five assists and an ace, Alyssa Clap had three aces with Taylor Theiss getting an ace and Thania Valencia, Samantha Sena, Mardie Alcayde and Sophia Torrice each made a kill.
