San Joaquin County saw its representation in the CIF State girls volleyball playoffs halved during the quarterfinal round held Thursday, Nov. 12.
After all four local teams secured victories in their opening matches on Nov. 10, only two programs managed to keep their state championship aspirations alive following the latest round of competition, according to “reporting from Yahoo Sports.”
Top-seeded St. Mary’s faced a difficult path in Division II, rallying from a deficit to defeat No. 8 Harbor in a five-set thriller.
The Rams dropped the first and third sets before securing a 21-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-16, 15-12 victory at Morelli Gym, as noted by “The Record.”
In Division III, Ripon continued its momentum by sweeping Bullard in three straight sets.
Coach Gregory Soliz had previously challenged his team to process the disappointment of their recent section championship loss by preparing for the state tournament.
“Not a lot of teams can get to this point, and they did,” Soliz said, according to “the local news coverage.”
“At the same time, they’re not happy about it I told them, let it hurt. Embrace the hurt. Then get ready for state,” Soliz added.
Ripon’s offensive effort was bolstered by Alayna Sprinkle, who recorded 31 assists.
Conversely, other county teams faced elimination during the quarterfinal round.
Ripon Christian fell to Santa Cruz in four sets, despite a strong individual performance from Alyssa Hofman, who tallied 17 kills and 16 digs.
Escalon also saw its run end after a 3-0 loss to Bear River, a team that entered the match with a 35-win record.
The Bruins utilized a balanced attack to overcome the second-seeded Cougars, per local outlets.
As the tournament progresses, St. Mary’s and Ripon remain the final two representatives from San Joaquin County competing for state titles.
Both teams are now preparing for their respective semifinal matchups as the road to the championship grows increasingly difficult, according to “The Record.”