Lady Barons volleyball defeats Edison and moves on to CIF

DSC_2351By Demetria Ma
Last Tuesday girls volleyball ended their season on a high note as they defeated the Chargers at home on Senior Night.

The frosh-soph team lost 0-2, while junior varsity cleaned it up in a 2-0 game. Varsity won 3-2, scoring 19-25, 20-25, 26-24, 25-19, and 15-9 in respective sets.

Although varsity lost the first two sets, they made a solid comeback with the next three wins.

Libero Ari Jacobsen (’15) worked hard to dig hard-driven balls to setters Liz Byrnes (’15) and Shayna Johnson (’14), who made quick assists for clean hits.

The team scored several kills and was ready to cover blocks from the Chargers. Outside hitters Laney Ehlers (’14) and Samira Escobar (’14) adjusted to balls that were played out of system and made smart moves to keep the ball in play.

“It’s been [a] great [season]. [We] raised the bar, which was definitely one of their goals and we’re very, very adamant about creating a new tradition here at Fountain Valley,” said head coach Adam Cutrell. “They girls have been an excellent example for the lower levels.”

The last game of the season was also the girls’ Senior Night, where senior volleyball players Laney Ehlers, Anna Breese, Tiffany Phan, Shayna Johnson, Courtney McClane, Sidney McClelland, Samira Escobar, Kylie Winthrop, and Hannah Crowe were introduced and walked across the gym by family and friends.

With their final victory against Edison, the lady Barons qualified for C.I.F. championships for the first time since 1996.

When asked about predictions for the upcoming playoffs, Cutrell stated, “I think that [in] C.I.F. they’ll be playing with the best of the best, and they’ll be playing with a lot of heart.”

Photos by Tue Duong