In their first standalone home match this season, Orestimba High volleyball team won 3-1 (26-24, 25-14, 19-25, 25-22) against Central Valley High (Ceres) at Kerry McWilliams Memorial Gymnasium last Wednesday.
The Warriors improved to 3-2 overall under first-year head coach Tianah Vitorino.
In a match where it was closer than what the scoreboard indicates, Vitorino said it was her player’s energy that served as the catalyst in their win, especially in the final set.
“When the girls have their energy, we always get that point right back up, and we get the ball back,” Vitorino said. “They work hard, they communicate with each other, and it’s just about teamwork.”
While only half of the gymnasium’s bleachers was used for attendees, the atmosphere for Wednesday’s match delivered an uproar from Orestimba and Central Valley fans. Through each point scored, cheers from fans of the respective teams grew louder as each set went by.
After winning a necessary third set, the Hawks couldn’t have asked for a better start, holding a 12-9 lead. The Warriors responded with a 5-2 scoring run to tie the match at 14.
As the pressure continued to mount on Central Valley, they regained their lead at 17-15. Orestimba later tied the set at 19 with an opportunity to close out the match.
While other Warriors players struggled to score and get a stop, one player emerged late in the set, Persia Wright. Wright spiked in three kills during Orestimba’s 5-0 run as the team was one point from winning the match.
The Hawks, in response, scored three-straight points to cut their deficit the two, resulting in a Warriors timeout. Vitorino, in the timeout, told her players to focus on the final point, she said.
As the ball went to Central Valley, Jade Delagrande spiked it past the boundary line, resulting in an Orestimba win.
Asked on where there’s more pressure when facing elimination or try to close out a winning set, Vitorino said it’s closing out a possible winning set because “getting that last point is usually the hardest.”
Orestimba will host Mariposa County High (4-3) on Monday with the first set at 6 p.m.
