ARBUCKLE, CA (MPG) – In what was the best match of last week, the Bears accomplished something they hadn’t done since 2015, which was defeating the East Nicolaus Spartans in a volleyball match.
30 digs.
Although the two teams did not play for a span of five years during that time, coming into last Thursday night’s match the Spartans had taken10 straight matches from the Bears and had not yielded a set to them since 2021.
However, all that changed as Pierce found its resolve midway through the match and outlasted East Nicolaus 25-15, 22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-11 to move into a tie for second place in the Sacramento Valley League with East Nicolaus.
There were definitely some ups and downs in the match for the Bears starting in the first set when Riley Delepierre served the final eight points, which included five aces to put away East Nic.
But the Spartans, coming off a big win at the Carmichael Small School Invitational last week, were not going down without a fight and came back to win the second and third sets, thwarting Pierce’s two attempts at comebacks.
Undeterred, the Bears grabbed the momentum for good in the fourth set following a block by Leah Charter that made the score 17-14 and they never looked back.
It was perhaps the biggest win in Coach Lauren Ornbaun’s tenure as a coach given that the last time Pierce knocked off East Nic, she was a sophomore playing for the Bears and ended the match with six kills and 15 digs.
“I couldn’t remember the last time we even took a set off them,” Ornbaun said. “This was a great win for us. Everyone played a role and it definitely gives us confidence moving forward.”
Delepierre had a monster night, going toe-to-toe with the powerful Spartans at the net to finish with 21 kills, nine aces and five blocks, while Charter, in yet another impactful all-around performance, had 16 kills, 30 digs and 26 service receptions.
Immense credit also goes to setter Magali Jauregui who directed the Bear attack masterfully, handing out 46 assists in the process and drawing praise from Ornbaun who said, “I keep telling her there is a reason she’s a captain. Tonight, she showed it again by staying calm, playing smart and making the whole thing work.”
Even so, the Bears couldn’t have won without a complete team effort and got just that from veterans Charlie Wayman and Destany Martinez in addition to first year libero Leslye Velasquez.
Wayman finished the match with 30 digs, six kills and three aces, Martinez put away eight balls and made 12 digs, while Velasquez accounted for 24 digs and 32 service receptions.
Pierce also picked up another victory earlier last week when it traveled to Paradise and pummeled the Bobcats by scores of 25-7, 25-14, 25-14.
On a night where the Bears served 18 aces, Delepierre led the way with seven, while Charter pitched in with five.
Charter additionally had team-highs in both kills and digs with nine and 14 respectively, Delepierre and Wayman had eight kills apiece, while Jauregui finished with 27 assists and nine digs.
Velasquez logged 10 digs in the win as well.
Pierce (18-7, 4-1) has a bit of a breather this week having played its only scheduled game on Sept. 30 at home against Winters.