The volleyball team lost to the Sacramento City Panthers in five games, Wednesday, November 5, bringing their record to 6-3 in the Bay Valley Conference, 12-3 overall. The 49ers followed a disappointing loss in the first game with a close victory in the second, but then lost the next two games closely for a final score of 17-30, 30-28, 27-30, 25-30.
Up against a bigger team with two middle hitters over six feet tall, the 49ers were at a disadvantage at the net. Crystal Haymore, the most productive scorer for the team, came into the match after missing four in a row with an illness, but was effectively shut down by Sacramento City’s blockers.
Outside hitter Katie Devaney led the scoring for Yuba with 13 kills and Crystal Haymore and Lindsey Quail each had 11 in the match. Alisa Korn set for 32 assists and libero Cassidy Haskell led the team with seven digs.
After the brutal first game loss, the 49ers put together some offense, scoring mostly with cross-court attacks and soft dumps rather than heavy hitting. The Panthers still controlled the middle and won some long rallies to keep the game close.
Yuba then jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third game with the help of a block and a kill from Devaney, but the Panthers soon fought back to tie the game at six apiece. The game was close from then on, ending with a block by Sacramento City for the win.
By the last game the 49ers had lost the momentum and never once took the lead, at best tying the game at 10 points each and finally at 24 each. Then, with the score at 24-24, the Panthers essentially shut out the 49ers for the rest of the match, only giving up one more point on a service error but scoring a block and two more kills to finish out the match.
The loss is Yuba’s second to Sacramento City and only their third of the season, having suffered one other defeat to the number one ranked San Joaquin Delta. With this loss, Yuba and Sacramento City are tied for second place in the BVC behind Delta.
Head coach Thea Post was not at all surprised by the level of play the Panthers brought to the match, but thought the 49ers could have done better.
“The last time we played them, we played badly,” Post said. “This time we played OK, but they played very well.”
Following the loss to Sacramento City, the 49ers lost to Santa Rosa Junior College on November 7 and Shasta College on November 11, bringing their record to 6-4 BVC, 12-5 overall.
The 49ers’ next match will be against San Joaquin Delta in Stockton November 14. Their next match at home will be against American River on November 19.
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