TAFT, CA - On Friday, August 25th, the Taft College Women's Volleyball team traveled up north to Santa Rosa Junior College for a double header where they challenged both Santa Rosa JC and the College of Marin.
"Although our season opening match didn't go as well as we had hoped, I am proud of the way our team continued to fight through adversity. We struggled early to get our offense in rhythm, but the team never gave up," commented Volleyball Head Coach Mallori Rossi.
In the first match, the Lady Cougars took on the Santa Rosa Bear Cubs. Both teams fought hard, but the Bear Cubs finished on top as the Lady Cougars fell short in all three sets (19-25, 22-25, 10-25).
Coach Rossi continued to say, "After the first match, we talked as a team and agreed we would have to show more heart in the second match. Our defense improved significantly which allowed our hitters to start to gain some momentum."
There was a quick turnaround for the Lady Cougars, as they swept the College of Marin in three sets (25-18, 25-23, 25-21). Not only are the box scores a reflection of the change in heart, but the statistics speak for themselves. In just the second match alone, the team was able to accumulate 66 digs, 30 kills, and 9 aces.
"Jayde was unstoppable at the net. She led our offense with 12 kills and no errors, which is incredible especially for a middle. Kailee and McCall sparked our defense, and Taniyah served aggressively which helped us to take the lead early in the second match." - Coach Mallori Rossi
As a team, the Lady Cougars racked up a total of 49 kills, 13 aces, 114 digs, and 5 blocks from both matches combined.
Taft College will be on the road again on August 30th, where they will play in a doubleheader classic at 2:30 pm versus De Anza College and host San Joaquin Delta College at 5:30 pm.