Facing the Sacramento Valley League’s top two teams last week, the RedHawks suffered a tough 25-27, 25-22, 24-26, 20-25 loss to East Nicolaus last Tuesday night at home, but came back strong the following evening to take down visiting Willows 25-14, 21-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11.
Against East Nicolaus, the RedHawks jumped out to a 15-11 lead in the first set, but were ultimately overcome by the strength of the Spartans at the service line.
Yet, Colusa was undeterred, and bounced back in the second set, punctuating the win with a thunderous kill from Karsyn Gwinnup.
However, as the match progressed, East Nicolaus’s Jadyn Hoffman, who is second in the section in kills, was able to propel the Spartans to victory.
Despite the loss, Gwinnup turned in a notable all-round performance with 13 kills, 15 assists and 11 digs.
Elle Faris posted a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs, Jasmine Bernardo was efficient on the attack, finishing with 10 kills, while Brooklyn Bradbury handed out 20 assists.
Playing the following evening against the Honkers, the RedHawks exacted some revenge for a setback they incurred on September 20.
Gwinnup, eighth in the Northern Section with 214 kills, again set the tone by registering 15 kills, 15 digs and 15 assists.
Faris had another solid all-around effort, with seven kills and 15 digs, as did Bradbury, who finished with 17 assists and 12 digs.
Also contributing to the cause was Bernardo with six kills, Carly Simmons with eight kills and 14 digs, along with Lexy Avera who made 11 digs and had 15 service points.
In the aftermath of the Willows match, Coach Kim Roper praised her squad’s resiliency, saying, “I’m very proud of the girls for fighting hard against Willows after the heartbreaking loss we had to East Nic. They played with passion and worked as a team. They continue to work hard, and I look forward to seeing them compete in the playoffs.”
Currently, third in the SVL standings, Colusa (22-9, 9-3) concluded conference play this week when it traveled to Arbuckle on Tuesday to take on Pierce, and returns home tonight to face Durham. ■