Giants Drop Back-to-Back to Merced and Lemoore

College of the Sequoias' Allison Wood (2) in a game versus Merced College on October 2, 2024. (Photo Credit: Norma Foster / COS Athletics)
College of the Sequoias' Allison Wood (2) in a game versus Merced College on October 2, 2024. (Photo Credit: Norma Foster / COS Athletics)
October 7, 2024
Visalia, CA – The College of the Sequoias women's volleyball team faced a challenging week, falling in two tight five-set matches against Merced and Lemoore. Despite strong individual performances, the Giants couldn't pull off victories in two contests that came down to the wire. 
 
COS 2, Merced 3 
 
On Wednesday, COS hosted Merced in a match that saw the teams trading blows until the final points. After a tightly contested five sets, Merced emerged victorious 24-26, 25-14, 15-25, 25-18, 15-10. 
The Giants were led by standout outside hitter Vianka Martinez (Golden West HS), who tallied 23 kills, while middle blocker Trinity Tavita (Las Vegas, NV) contributed 8 kills and 1 block. Olivia Samaniego (McFarland HS) added 4 blocks to go with her 4 kills, but it wasn't enough with Merced's balanced attack. Allison Wood (Immanuel HS) played a crucial defensive role for the Giants, by recording 24 digs by anchoring the Giants' defense. 
 
The Giants started strong, taking the first set in an extended battle, but they were unable to maintain momentum in the second and fourth sets, where Merced capitalized on errors and out-hit Sequoias with a .273 hitting percentage. Despite a third-set resurgence, the Giants couldn't close out the match in the fifth, falling short as Merced took the final frame 15-10. 
 
"We fought hard, but we need to stay consistent throughout the match and limit our errors," said Head Coach Kim Rix. "There were moments we played really well, but we let them back in, and that cost us." 
 
COS 2, Lemoore 3
 
On this past Friday, the Giants hit the road to face Lemoore in another five-set match, this time falling 24-26, 30-28, 25-23, 17-25, 15-11. Once again, the match came down to a decisive fifth set that saw the Giants narrowly edged out. Martinez was once again dominant, leading the team with 25 kills, while Samaniego provided valuable support with 13 kills and 6 blocks. Tavita added 14 kills on .324 hitting, and Julieanne Gerbrandt (Dinuba HS) distributed 30 assists while chipping in defensively with 22 digs. Wood continued to hold strong by recording an impressive 37 digs and adding 2 service aces. 
 
The match was a back-and-forth affair, with COS taking the first set but unable to close out a marathon second set that went to Lemoore 30-28. The Giants fought hard to win the third set and push for a victory but couldn't hold off Lemoore's offense in the fifth. 
 
"Our players gave everything on the court. It's tough to lose two matches like this in a row," Rix stated. "We need to work on closing out those crucial points, but I'm proud of how we battled." 
 
 By the Numbers
  • Merced Match: COS lost in five sets (24-26, 14-25, 25-15, 18-25, 10-15)
    • Martinez: 23 kills
    • Samaniego: 4 blocks 
    • Tavita: 8 kills, 1 block 
  •   Lemoore Match: COS lost in five sets (24-26, 30-28, 25-23, 17-25, 11-15) 
    • Martinez: 25 kills, .244 hitting
    •  Samaniego: 13 kills, 6 blocks 
    • Tavita: 14 kills, .324 hitting 
    • Gerbrandt: 30 assists, 22 digs 
 Upcoming Matches
 
College of the Sequoias' volleyball will regroup and look to bounce back as they continue their conference play on Tuesday, October 9 at Columbia at 5 p.m. They will return home on Friday, October 11 when they host Fresno City at 6 p.m.