Olympians advance to face #2 seed Bakersfield College

Olympians advance to face #2 seed Bakersfield College

The San Diego Mesa College women’s volleyball team moved a step closer to a regional title after a dramatic 3-2 (28-26, 25-19, 19-25, 18-25, 15-7) victory against College of the Canyons on Tuesday at the Cougar Cage in Santa Clarita, CA. 

The Olympians seeded #10 upset the #7 seed Canyons behind Raven Casas season high of 28 kills (8 in the final set). “The whole team played well. I trusted my team to cover me against a big block,” states Raven Casas. “I had the green light, so I had the opportunity to take fearless swings.”

After winning the first two sets, the Olympians made a couple of adjustments and focused on going back to the game plan. The coaching staff emphasized all week the importance of holding serve. Another focal point was discipline on the block. College of the Canyons has one of the best middles in the state and a big focus was to slow them down. 

“We came into this match feeling confident, states head coach Bobbie Jo Stall. “We struggled in the 3rd and 4th set, but with our great start in the fifth, we were able to hold the lead and come out on top.”

Freshman Ally Ferguson (Grimes HS) played great in the final set. Ferguson's ability to serve for 5 points, forcing Canyons to utilize both of their timeouts, provided the momentum to carry the Olympians to victory. “Ally’s ability to hold her serve for that long period of time was a such momentum builder for us,” states Stall.  

The team will travel on Saturday to take on the #2 seed Bakersfield College at 6:00 p.m. “They have been super steady all season long, explains Stall. “As long as we can take advantage of our power and cut down on unforced errors, we should give ourselves a chance against this team. 

Raven Casas adds, “we need to go in there and play with a lot of confidence. We also need to remember our assignment and make smart decisions.