Yellowjackets triumph with a close 3-2 match against Rubidoux
Silberman and Venegas lead the way on offense as Colton wins its second straight match
Leslie Venegas and her teammates celebrate after pulling out a narrow victory against Rubidoux on Sept. 7.
Colton, CA—Fresh off their exciting 3-2 road victory over Canyon Springs last Friday, the Yellowjackets faced off at home against Rubidoux. Once again, they went the distance against the Falcons, notching their fifth victory of the season, and second in a row, winning 3-2 (23-25, 25-11, 19-25, 25-21, 17-15).
On offense, Joleena Silberman and Leslie Venegas led the Yellowjackets. Silberman put up 30 attacks for 3 kills, and added 4 aces on service. Venegas continued to shine, putting up 21 attacks, but stifling Rubidoux with 8 kills and 2 aces.
For the defense, libero Jennifer Amaral refused to quit on attacks by the Falcons, racking up 25 digs against one error. Meanwhile Desyree Gonzalez added 13 digs to go with 5 assists and 4 aces.
This game was a back-and-forth brawl between the two evenly matched squads. The opening set served to set a template for the rest of the match. Rubidoux darted out to an early lead, taking advantage of the Yellowjackets difficulty adjusting to a new strategy. However, Colton found their way, fought back and then the two teams traded points and spikes until Rubidoux squeaked out a 23-25 first set win.
In previous games, the Yellowjackets have shown a trend of letting early struggles get into their heads and shake their confidence. That did not happen against the Falcons. Colton showed up strong in the second set, making it look like Rubidoux’s first set victory might have been an accident, winning 25-11.
But the Falcons weren’t done. Led by the intimidating play of opposite hitter Mia Green, they took a commanding lead early in the set and coasted to a 25-19 victory in the third set.
In the fourth set, the Yellowjackets, led by Silberman and Venegas, struck back with punishing aces and strong team effort. They took the set 25-21, putting their fans on the edge of their seats for the decisive fifth set.
It looked like Colton was going to dominate the fifth set, taking a commanding 8-2 lead, but errors and miscommunication once again looked to derail their hard work on the court, as Rubidoux fought their way back in to take a 12-11 lead.
That was when Colton found their resolve and refused to quit. The last few points were a total team effort, and they stayed focused to win the set 17-15, giving them the match, as well.
After the game, the players were excited, but measured. Amaral was still focused on areas of growth for her and her team. “We didn’t have a lot of energy,” she said about the third set loss. “We could have communicated better.”
Jayda Porter, who finished with 13 attacks and 1 kill, shared about her team’s mental state. “They were talking a lot, so they had the upper hand,” she said.
Coach Wade agreed that his team still has a long ways to go, but his wide grin after watching them win their second match in a row showed that he is still proud of their effort on the court. “We have a lot to improve on,” he said. “And our games have only just begun.”
On Friday, the Yellowjackets travel to Palmdale to play Palmdale Academy. Game time is at 4 p.m.
Recently, the CHS Publications Department experienced a major theft as over $20,000 in photography equipment was stolen from our studio over Spring Break. This included all cameras. Any amount you donate will help rebuild our program. Thank you!
Tyler Morales is a sophomore attending Colton High School. He writes for the Pepper Bough and involves himself around different activities at the school....