After splitting the first two sets Tuesday night with visiting Manteca, Sierra pulled away in the next two for a 26-24, 20-25, 25-18, 25-14 Valley Oak League girls volleyball victory.
Both teams got off to a rough start with five combined service errors in the game’s first 15 points.
“We don’t normally have that many service errors,” Timberwolves coach Danielle Deerinck said. “I think the intensity just gets in your head sometimes.
“We have been a little flat to start lately, and having to constantly dig ourselves out of holes to start sets. They brought the fire that I want in the third and fourth sets.”
The first set saw 12 ties and six lead changes with ties at 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24. Delicia Kivalu-ahio (12 kills) got three of the last four points in that set for Sierra (1-1 VOL, 6-3 overall) on kills.
“At the beginning of the year, I was a little uncomfortable,” Kivalu-ahio said. “But then my teammates made me feel more comfortable.
“This was really fun. My teammates always encouraged me when I was getting in my head.”
With Kivalu-ahio patrolling the front row, teammate Ellis Denny was all over the court with 24 digs along with nine aces and a kill.
“It’s all about momentum,” Denny said. “If we don’t have the block, then it is about serve-receive.
“My teammates help me a lot.”
Amari Currey (14 digs, two aces), Gurjaap Kaur (four kills, eight assists), Hannah Threet (seven digs, four kills), Cianna Leonardo (three aces, five digs, 15 assists) and Sophia Threet (eight kills) rounded out the Timberwolves attack.
The Buffaloes (0-1, 6-4) committed multiple errors in the last set, which stopped them from building any momentum.
“We had a lot of errors in this match,” Manteca coach Robin Chandler said. “We pulled a girl up from JV, so we are trying a whole new lineup.
“We have lots of young players on this team, and they really don’t know how to battle back, but they are going to get better. We will keep working on that lineup and figure it out.”
Ariceli McBroom paced the Buffaloes with nine kills and three digs followed Nicole Anaya with 11 digs, three kills and three aces, Saniyah Anthony and Peyton McDonald with four digs and five kills apiece, Riley Ward (nine assists, five aces) and Katelyn Metzger (three aces). Junior varsity call-up Maylea Sims dished out 11 assists.
Sierra hosts Turlock tonight at 6:15 and the Buffaloes head to Modesto on Thursday to face Central Catholic at 6:15 p.m.
Junior varsity
Sierra 2, Manteca 1
Trailing 9-11 in the third set, the Timberwolves closed out the match on a 6-1 run behind two key digs by Bella Lee for a 12-25, 25-21, 15-12.
Lee tallied six kills, seven digs and an ace. Danett Cesante added 13 assists and nine digs, and Rachel Dole made eight digs.
Maddie Nunes (five digs) and Na’ima Calderon (four digs) made seven kills apiece for the Buffaloes and Annika Burns dished out 18 assists with two kills.
Freshmen
Manteca 2, Sierra 1
Jill Aldape led the Buffaloes to a 25-23, 24-26, 15-6 win with six assists, three kills and two aces.
Manteca’s Katie Anderson added five digs, four kills and three aces and Dannica Branco chipped in six aces and four kills.
Scarlett Robertson posted five kills and an ace for the Timberwolves, Morgan Tienda added five digs and three aces, with Kashvi Malavat making three aces, three kills and two digs.
