Despite beating their crosstown rival Turlock 3-1 on Thursday night to open Central California Athletic League play and improve their overall record to 18-3, there was a sense of surprise from the Pitman volleyball team as they stood on their home court.
As heavy favorites against the Bulldogs, the Pride saw a 5-0 lead in the first set evaporate into a 25-23 loss before rallying to win the next three ultra-competitive sets by 25-21, 25-18, 25-22 scores.
“We started off strong with that lead, and I think we just took our foot off the gas a little bit. We got too relaxed, and Turlock came out a lot stronger than we anticipated,” said first-year head coach Ari Amini. “I think they went into it with nothing to lose. They were just aggressive and wanted it just a bit more. We didn't realize how much potential they truly had. I think when they started to catch up to us, our girls were like, ‘Wait, what's going on?’”
It was a stark contrast to what Amini had seen last time they took the court last Friday and Saturday at the prestigious Hard Driven Tournament hosted by Clovis North, in which they won four of games. Their victories came against Justin Garza of Fresno (2-1), Santa Barbara (2-1), Redwood of Visalia (2-1) and Sanger (2-0) before dropping their final match 2-1 to San Joaquin Memorial.
“There was a lot going on for us tonight, a lot of outside factors,” he said. “It's our homecoming week, the kids are thinking about the festivities and the dance and all the other nuances that come with being a high schooler. And it’s that crosstown rivalry match when the gym is filled. Both fan bases are screaming. It's that kind of environment where young athletes can lose their discipline a little bit, on both sides. I think this is good for us in the sense that it's a reality check. On any given day in this sport, someone can beat you. It really just comes down to who's more focused, who's being aggressive, who's not hesitating.”
After the Pride were able to mentally lock back in, the duo of junior Maryn Hall and senior Mia Ngo led the charge offensively. Hall led all players with 22 kills while Ngo was second with 15. Senior Danica Zamora led in assists with 44 on the night.
On the defensive end, junior Aila Reich racked up 19 digs. Hall added 15 of her own. Ngo also chipped in with four blocks.
“This was really just the battle of grit. As the match progressed after that first set, the girls started to make the fixes, started picking on the holes, started talking more, started to get more involved, started to get more aggressive,” Amini said. “That’s what we need to do each time out, and that’s what I told them: Play our game: ‘Play Pitman Pride volleyball, focus on our discipline.’”
Turlock is also led by a first-year coach in Stacie Macias. In her inaugural coaching campaign, the Bulldogs have had a much lighter schedule. Thursday’s loss dropped their overall record to 5-5. But Amini knows very well that other CCAL teams, including the Pride, shouldn’t take that .500 record lightly as the season progresses.
“I think Turlock is going to be one of the best teams in our league. Now we know what to expect, and we know to come out stronger next time, and I assume Turlock will do the same,” Amini said. “We play at their place next time, so it's going to be even more of a battle.”
That next meeting between the two local teams will come on Oct. 8 from Bulldog Arena. In the meantime, the Bulldogs will look to get back into the win column on Tuesday when they travel to Modesto High to take on the 4-6 Panthers. The Pride will also make the trip into Modesto, but to Downey High School where they’ll face off with the 19-6 Knights.
