WILLOWS, CA (MPG) – A Halloween night match provided no treats for the No. 4 seeded Pierce Bears, who fell 15-25, 5-25, 23-25 to No. 1 Willows in the second round of the Northern Section CIF Division IV playoffs and, as a result, brought their season to a close.
As has been the pattern this year, the Bears were inconsistent at the start, while on the other side of the net, the Honkers were aggressive from the outset, swinging away relentlessly and rarely sending a free ball over the net.
It was something that showed in the results as well with Willows outhitting Pierce 47-13 for the match.
However, despite their inconsistency in the first two sets, the Bears showed some fight in the third, making it interesting before ultimately succumbing to the Honkers.
Laura Rivera led the attack with four kills and three aces, Maicey Hoebel also finished with four kills, while Magali Jauregui handed out seven assists.
In the back row, Macey Myers fended off some thunderous shots to make a team high 12 digs and 26 service receptions.
In spite of the loss, the Bears’ 18-13 overall record was a seven win improvement over last season and an impressive start to rookie head coach’s Lauren Ornbaun’s tenure.
Reflecting on her inaugural season, Orbaun pointed not only to her team’s continued improvement, but also expressed appreciation for the team’s seniors, including Rivera, Jamie Figueroa, Hailey Regnani and Ysabel Charter.
“All the players were very open to my coaching style, so a huge shout out to the team, but especially to the seniors, who all showed drastic improvement,” said Ornbaun. “They played huge roles, were coachable and provided leadership.”
Yet, the Bears also have something to look forward to with seven potential returners from this year’s roster as Ornbaun explained, “Our underclassmen have shown a promising level of play, although I think we are all looking for more consistency next season.”
With a core centering around Myers, Hoebel, and Jauregui combined with the competitive nature of their coach, Pierce should be ready to compete come next fall.