Sometimes, even being wrong turns out all right.

With Sierra on an 8-2 run and threatening to force a fourth game Monday night against visiting Weston Ranch, the Cougars’ Saia Hill bumped a hard serve back over the net from the back row that fell to the floor for match point in Weston Ranch’s 25-19, 25-21, 25-21 Valley Oak League win. 

 “I over passed it,” Hill said. “But it ended up working.”

All three sets had a common theme with the Cougars (4-7 VOL, 12-10 overall) taking commanding leads and then watching them almost evaporate. Weston Ranch led 19-8 in the first set, 19-10 in the second and 22-13 in the third. 

“We started off really well all three sets, but we didn’t finish them well,” Cougars coach Eddie Menzel said. “We were lucky enough that we got off to a good-enough start to carry us through those little lapses we had in the middle where the energy sort of died out.

“We have to work on making sure we are locked in at all times and the energy has to translate all the way through, every point.”

After closing out the second set on a 10-3 run, the Timberwolves (0-11, 9-14) had the momentum going into the third set when Judit Zamora took to the service line for Weston Ranch and fired off three consecutive aces to help the Cougars out to the set’s first six points that they would need at the end of the set. 

“It takes us a while to get going,” Sierra coach Trinity Johnson said. “We don’t come out with fire underneath us.”

Amaya Finley was on fire for Weston Ranch with 17 kills, five aces and three blocks.

“I just try to come out and get my hitting better,” Finley said. “I try to keep improving every game.”

Teammate Senicia Patten added six blocks and five kills.

“You have to time things just right in order to get the kill,” Patten said. “And you need to figure out how people are going to adjust to get the blocks.”

Nayeli Moreno had 24 assists for the Cougars and Hill had 17 digs. 

Lindsey Walljasper had seven kills, two aces and a block for Sierra. Hailey Steele added four digs, three kills and two blocks; Emma Brierly had four kills and two aces; Maria Lopez had three kills and a block and Kylie Matteroli had three digs. 

Sophomore

Sierra 2, Weston Ranch 0

The Timberwolves won 25-19, 25-20 with Ashlee Matteroli getting six aces and three kills and Natalie Dias adding a kill and a block.

Freshman

Sierra 2, Weston Ranch 0

Kylie Machado had six aces and a kill for the Timberwolves in their 25-14, 25-18 win. 

Chloe Sabado added four aces and a kill and Genevieve Gaines chipped in two aces and good back-row passing. 

Cheyenne Lewis had six digs and Alejandra Arevalo had an ace for the Cougars.