Manteca 3, Kimball 0
The Kimball High volleyball team hopes to keep its playoff hopes alive after the Jaguars took a loss on Tuesday in their last home game of the regular season. The Jaguars were ranked 17th in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II power ratings as of two weeks ago. They were 4-5 in the Valley Oak League at the time, and have gone 2-2 since then for a league record of 6-7.
Kimball Coach Mila Iosefa said that a win on Tuesday would have given the team a good chance to get into the playoffs, but the Jaguars still have a chance to get a win and possibly move up into the top 16 when they travel to Lathrop on Wednesday for their last game of the regular season.
Kimball’s VOL opponents, including Oakdale, East Union and Manteca, will be in the Division III bracket if they can stay in the top 16. Sonora, which leads the VOL at 13-0, is in Division IV.
Tuesday was the last home match for seniors Montanna Bradley, Johann Romero, Tolo Asefi and Christy Brown.
Romero said that each year the team has built itself up a little more since she was a sophomore on the Jaguars’ first team.
“At this point, everything we’ve accomplished, all the games we’ve won, it’s recognition for the school. It’s something that we set for the next year to come,” she said. Bradley added that the team has a strong bond than in years past.
“We’ve worked really hard to get to playoffs so hopefully we can beat Lathrop and still be in the playoffs,” she said, adding that there were shortcomings on Tuesday that the team still can improve on.
“We just need to get in our spots and make sure we move our feet instead of just watching the ball. Our communication wasn’t there tonight. We weren’t talking on the court as much as we should.”
Manteca won Tuesday’s match with scores of 25-19, 25-15, 25-16. The Buffaloes came out strong in the first game. Brown and Romero each served for multiple points to bring Kimball close, with an ace from Bradley and a kill shot from Brown to tie it up before Manteca again pulled head to win it.
Kimball briefly held the lead at the start of the second game on blocks at the net from Brown and Iris Nelson. Again Manteca proved strong on defense and at the net, turning back Kimball’s best chances of scoring. Kimball kept it close on shots from Bradley and Sara Searle before Manteca scored on a string of serves at the end.
Kimball again had the advantage at the start of the third game on aces from Nelson. The score stayed close as teams traded side-out points until Manteca again got a couple series of serves to pull ahead at the end.
Kimball’s junior varsity beat Manteca 25-15, 25-14, and the freshman Jaguars won 26-24, 17-25, 15-9.
Kimball 3, Lathrop 0
The Jaguars followed up Tuesday’s loss with a win against the Lathrop High Spartans, with scores of 25-13, 25-22, 25-21. Bradley scored six aces and 21 assists, Nelson had 10 kills, Brown had seven kills and six assists, and Megan Bhathal had six kills. The junior varsity team won 25-20, 25-18, and Kimball’s freshmen won 25-18, 19-25, 15-12.
Chavez 3, Tracy 0
Tracy High’s varsity volleyball team lost its final match of the season at Chavez High on Tuesday, with scores of 25-19, 25-14, 25-6 in the Titans’ favor. The Bulldogs finish their San Joaquin Athletic Association Season at 3-7, and went 9-7 overall this year.
Chavez is well-positioned for a place in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I bracket, as is Lincoln, and Lodi is on a pace to make the Division II playoff bracket.
Tracy’s junior varsity team finished with a win and is 6-4 for the season, 12-4 overall. Jenna Wesely had eight kills on Tuesday, Michelle Laiolo and Alessandra Rodriguez with each served for consecutive points, and Morgan Sterni and Sami Worthington provided defensive covereage. Misty Bagorio had two assists and three kills and Daesha Brown had three kills. Tracy’s freshmen also won, 25-14, 25-13. Natasha Little led the freshman team in service points.
Kimball 3, Sierra 2
The Jaguar volleyball team claimed a come-from-behind win in five sets on Thursday, Oct. 27, at home against the Timberwolves from Sierra High. The win moves Kimball to 6-6 in the Valley Oak League, and gives the Jaguars a good chance to move up into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoff bracket.
Kimball was ranked 17th in the Sac-Joaquin Section's Division II power ratings as teams prepared to go into the last half of the league season. Since then the Jaguars have won two and lost one, with two more matches left, including their Tuesday, Nov. 1, match at home against Manteca, and their Wednesday, Nov. 2 match at Lathrop High.
Sierra won the first two on Thursday, and Kimball came back to win three in a row, with scores of 21-25, 13-25, 25-12, 25-11, 15-8 in Kimball’s favor. Iris Nelson recorded 12 kills, nine aces and five blocks; Montanna Bradley had five kills, 11 assists, five aces, and two blocks; Christy Brown had six kills, 10 assists, three aces and four blocks; and Megan Bhathal recorded two assists and four blocks.
Kimball’s junior varsity won in three, 19-25, 25-11, 15-3, and the freshmen won in two, 25-18, 25-20.
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