Ripon Christian’s Brynn Bohn scored her team’s final four points behind three kills and a block in a thrilling 25-19, 20-25, 22-25, 25-14, 15-7 non-league girls volleyball win over host Sierra on Wednesday.
“When you are in the middle, you have to be mentally and physically tough,” Bohn said. “Because you are going back and forth transitioning.
“So you have to stay tough, be ready for the block, watch the hitter with her timing and be ready for anything.”
With Bohn (14 kills) helping anchor the front row for the Knights (2-4), Anneke Dyt was busy in the back row with 21 digs.
“You just kind of have to read the block and the hitters to see where they are at,” Dyt said. “And then you kind of position yourself to wherever they are and try and get those hits up.”
Ripon Christian’s Alanna Blanco (54 assists) and Paige Van Hofwegen (19 kills) each had three aces. Tatum Sonke added 24 digs, and Haley Kootstra four blocks.
Knights coach Kayla Kootstra was pleased with her team’s finish.
“We finished the way I was hoping we would play the entire match,” Coach Kootstra said. “In our last two sets, we played better volleyball than we played Tuesday, which was better than we played on Saturday. Sierra is scrappy and gets after the ball, and they were good at getting us out of our system, so we have to find a way to respond quicker than we did at times.
“We’re moving in the right direction. We walk into a gym, and we are two-time state champs and that’s where we are coming from, but that doesn’t define this this team, so we have to figure out what defines us. Between sets three and four, I encouraged the girls to find their own identity. I think they have set expectations based on those two teams. We rallied tonight and now we have to continue to build.”
Timberwolves coach Danielle Deerinck was looking for the fight her squad had to start the night when it ended.
“I like five-set nights early on in the season,” Deerinck said. “I feel like it shows the girls that we need to work on our endurance and play five sets.
“We had a little more fight in the first three sets, and I think it showed in our later sets that our energy kind of fell off.”
Hanna Threet led the attack for Sierra (4-2) with 13 kills, seven digs and three aces followed by Delicia Kivalu-Ahio (11 kills), Sophia Threet (10 kills), Ellis Denny (11 digs) and Amari Currey (seven digs). Cianna Leonardo (nine digs) dished out 20 assists with 12 assists for Gurjaap Kaur.
Ripon Christian hosts Pitman of Turlock this afternoon at 4:30 while this evening at 6 the Timberwolves travel to Summerville.
Junior varsity
Ripon Christian 2, Sierra 0
Alyssa Hofman posted six blocks for the Knights in the 25-19, 25-21 win.
Ripon Christian’s Bella Blanco tallied five digs while Annika Jung added 14 assists and three aces.
Bella Lee posted six kills for the Timberwolves with five digs for Danett Cesante and 14 assists and three aces for Annika Jung.
Freshman
Ripon Christian 2, Sierra 0
The Knights swept the Timberwolves 25-18, 25-14.
Scarlett Robertson paced Sierra with three kills and six service points. Morgan Tienda and Kashvi Malavat added two kills each.
