TAFT, CA – On Wednesday, August 30, Taft College Women's Volleyball made their way up north to San Joaquin Delta College for a doubleheader match versus both De Anza College and Delta College.
In the first match, Taft College challenged the De Anza College Mountain Lions. The Lady Cougars struggled early into the match, allowing De Anza to take a 2-set lead (23-25, 20-25). However, the Cougars fought back and were able to take the third set (25-19). The fourth set came close but ultimately the Mountain Lions came out on top as they took the final set (23-25).
For the second match, the Lady Cougars faced the Delta College Mustangs. Taft put up a good fight but essentially couldn't subdue the Mustangs, as they took all three sets (21-25, 23-25, 12-25).
Taft College Volleyball Head Coach Mallori Ross shared her post game remarks, "Today was another great opportunity for us to gain valuable experience under our belt. We got to compete against two of the top teams in the state. Throughout the day, we improved as a team and developed a great sense of competitive spirit. Taniyah and Jayde took control of the net defensively which allowed our backcourt defenders to read more easily. Ariana and McCall were both offensive forces for us against De Anza as they finished with 13 kills and 12 kills, respectively. Sabrina came alive in the match against Delta with 14 kills and she helped bring much needed energy to the court. I truly believe that Kailee is emerging as one of the top liberos in the state. She picked up 42 digs in our two matches today and her poise and confidence on the court is outstanding."
Coach Rossi went on to say, "This week in practice we focused a lot on our defense, and it showed as we finished the day with 154 digs, 12 blocks and 14 service aces. We are still in the early stages of season, so it has been really neat to see the leaders on our team rising to the top."
Although the Cougars fell short in both matches, there is no doubt that they fought with heart and left everything out on the court.
Taft College will be on the road again this Friday, September 1st. They will be heading to Fremont, CA, and are set to challenge Ohlone College at 2:00 pm, and Mendocino College at 4:00 pm.