Balanced attack gives Lady Yellowjacket volleyball first league victory of season
The Yellowjackets (Mariah Perez and Marissa Herrera) were all smiles as they took three straight games to win their match-up against the Arroyo Valley Hawks.
September 14, 2021
Colton, CA—On the strength of Justine Estrada, Mariah Perez, and Marissa Herrera’s play at the net, the Lady Yellowjackets cruised to a 3-0 victory against the Arroyo Valley Hawks today at the Hubbs Gym.
After an uneven preseason in which the Yellowjackets went 3-5 in non-league play, they looked like a cohesive unit on the court against the 1-3 Hawks. The errors that muddied their play against Rubidoux and Norte Vista may not have been a thing of the past, but instead of crumbling under their weight, the team pulled together, stayed focused, and strung together three impressive games against an opponent they were expected to defeat.
“In my team I’m seeing hustle, I’m seeing that we are communicating more, and we’re working well as a team,” said Libero Elena Torrero, whose timely digs and aggressive approach kept the Yellowjackets focused and assertive.
After opening with a solid 25-21 victory in game one of the three game match, the Hawks looked like they had some signs of life in game two behind the play of middle blocker Rubi Quinto, whose long reach and powerful serve put the Hawks up early, 14-13.
The Yellowjackets fought back behind the balanced attack of Estrada, Herrera, and junior middle blocker Glory Mgbemere, who had two kills each as they led the team on an 11-5 run to take game two 25-19.
After that, the Hawks flew the coop and the Yellowjackets finished them off in game 3, 25-17.
Overall, this was a great start to league play. Estrada was stoked by her teammates’ play. “I have to give a lot of credit to my team,” she said. “I wouldn’t have gotten those great passes and sets without them.”
Coach Sarah Vasquez was satisfied with her team’s performance. “We meshed well together. We were able to side out right away, which is what we’ve been working on for awhile.”
However, the coach wasn’t completely satisfied. “We’re going to work on our offense a little bit,” she said, giving her team’s performance today a C-plus.
