NEWMAN — Orestimba High’s gym was packed with rivalry energy and community pride Thursday night as the Warriors hosted Gustine for the 18th annual Dig Pink volleyball match, an event that has become as meaningful for its mission as for its competition.
Since 2009, Orestimba has been one of the nation’s leading supporters of the Dig Pink initiative, which raises money for patients with metastatic breast cancer and relies heavily on high school volleyball programs. The Warriors have brought in a cumulative $180,000 over 18 years, placing them in the top five nationally and first in California.
Once play began, both teams delivered a match worthy of the crowd.
Gustine opened the first set with the night’s initial serve, but Orestimba quickly took control with three straight points. Sierra anchored the Warriors early with two blocks at the net, though Gustine rallied to take an 18–16 lead and later went up 19–17. A service error shifted momentum back to Orestimba, which tied the set at 19–19 and edged ahead 21–19. After a Reds timeout, Orestimba’s Mirynn Oliveira closed the frame with a strong serving run to seal a 25–19 win.
Between sets, students filled the court for a serving contest, competing for Dig Pink shirts and pizzas donated by Pizza Plus.
Gustine responded in the second set, taking a 2–1 lead before Orestimba surged ahead 7–4. Behind steady serving from Victoria Silva, the Warriors pushed the margin to 9–5. Gustine answered with its strongest run of the night, climbing ahead 11–10 and stretching the lead to 16–12. Orestimba stayed close, trailing 22–21 before calling timeout, but the Reds held firm to take the set 25–23.
The third set turned into a back-and-forth battle. Gustine’s Kaylee Giles delivered consecutive aces to put the Reds up 8–5, prompting an Orestimba timeout. The Warriors chipped away, tying the set at 11–11 and later going ahead 20–18. Gustine tied it again at 20–20, but a missed serve gave Orestimba breathing room at 23–20. The Reds pulled within 24–23 before a late error handed the Warriors a 25–23 win.
Orestimba controlled the fourth set from the start, building leads of 5–1, 10–4 and 16–10. Silva hammered a kill to make it 21–12, though Gustine answered with a five‑point run behind Martha Torres and Adamaris Hernandez to cut the deficit to 22–17. The Warriors reached match point at 24–17, and Breese Navarro finished it with a decisive kill for a 25–17 win and a 3–1 match victory.
After the match, Orestimba head coach Tianah Vitorino said the win came at a crucial point in the season.
“This win means everything,” Vitorino said. “We needed this to get our confidence back up so we can finish the rest of our season strong. In a rivalry game, the standards are high. A win like this brings the whole community closer together.”
Gustine head coach Laupua praised his team’s resilience.
“I’m extremely proud of our girls and the fight they exhibited throughout the entire match,” Laupua said. “They never gave up, no matter the score.”
