Photo credit: Jenny Sims for J Reels
Posted: Dec 02, 2024
After receiving a bye through the opening round of playoffs, the Vaqs hosted the Mt. SAC Mounties for the 2nd round regional matchup. After a shaky first set, it was a close match, with the Mounties edging out the Vaqueros in 4 sets (25-15, 20-25, 25-21, 25-23). Coach Niksto said of the matchup, "I knew it was going to be a tough game start to finish. Credit to Mt. SAC, they have attacking weapons at all positions, and their middle (#9 Romano) is one of the best players we have seen all season."
The opening set saw Mt. SAC jump out to an early 12-5 lead, and never look back on their path to a 25-15 win. Niksto said, "It was clear we came out more nervous then they were. I think you could tell the difference between their heavy sophomore lineup versus our heavy freshmen lineup. It's hard when you just give away a set like that especially in a playoff match. That being said, I was very proud of how the team shook off that first set and battled point for point in the second set. The second set was indeed a back and forth affair up to 13-13. That is when the Vaqs hit their stride and began to pull away, extending their lead to 17-14 before closing out the set 25-20. The third and fourth we also close back and forth battles, however in both sets the Mounties pulled away at the end to close out the sets and match.
The Vaqs were paced once again by freshman Kaylin Cooney with 16 kills while hitting .419%. "I was so proud of how well Kaylin played, especially when we know teams come in scouting how to slow her down," said Coach Niksto. The team was led in digs by sophomore setter Natalie Lercari-Sullivan with 16, while freshman setter Brielle Smith led the team in assists with 26.
"I am excited about the pieces we have returning," said Coach Niksto. "Of our All Conference winners, 3 of the 4 were freshmen. While this was clearly a disappointing finish, we had a solid overall season, posting the most overall wins since the 2021 season. The 2025 season can't come soon enough - we are hungry to improve and prove ourselves next year!"
