San Carlos — The Brave JV volleyball team had the satisfaction of beating Miami’s Junior Varsity 2 sets to 1. But the Brave varsity team faced disaster and lost 3 games to zero.

They went down in the first game 7 to 25, did a little better. They lost by only 6 after alternatively trailing and catching up with a final score of 19 - 25. 

The third game was a blowout 6-25. Vandal Arianna Yniguez scored 11 straight points with the help of her teammates so the score went from a manageable 5 to 10 to a perilous 5 to 21. She hit a serve out of the park, but the next 2 points went to Miami.

Miami servers got the ball over consistently but did not win by ace alone. In many long volleys, their 10, Jaydan Allinson and others were able to kill the ball with an authority the Braves could not match or cope with.

The Junior Varsity game calls for more detail: it went much better for the Braves although it started inauspiciously enough for San Carlos, when they lost the first set 15 to 25. 

But the Braves came roaring back in the 2nd set with the service of #17, Cayla Dazen, who racked up seven straight points including a couple of aces. After a time out, she served into the net. Score: 7 to 2. Number 14, Shelby Wampole served for a point. Her team members tipped the ball back over the net. Then 2 killed the ball out. Score: 8 to 2.

Ashlee Bendle took over the serve for the Braves and scored 3 points before putting the ball into the net. Score: 10 to 3. Vandal, Frankie Galvin made a point before serving the ball out. And Alyssa Sneezy pushed the score for the Braves from 11-5 to 15  - 5 before Vandal #1, Frankie Galvin, tipped the ball over the net to cost Alyssa the serve.

Both teams were good tippers, if less than so-so ball killers, but the Vandals were especially deft and sneaky.

Tammy Stallings served for a Vandal point and then put the ball into the net, giving the serve to Tana Kozie, and it was Katie bar the door. During her serve, the Braves scored six points upping the score from 15 to 23 Score: 23 to 8.

Miami out fought the Braves in a long volley and got the serve. Score 23 to 9. Cheyene Lee served for the Vandals, and the Braves sent it back. The Vandals dug and set well, but their hitter tried to kill the ball and ended up killing the serve.

Breanna Brown took over and aced the next two points to give the game to the Braves. 25 to 9. So the second game, which often goes to the team that lost the first game, went to the 

Braves, but the third crucial game was coming up. Would the Braves be able to keep concentration and win the little 15 point third game?

Kayla Dazen served at 0-0 which resulted in a long volley and a beautiful tip by #8 that broke the serve. Score: 0-1.

Vandal 14, Shelby Wampole scored a couple of points Score: 0-3. But San Carlos 17, Cayla Dazen made a great save when the ball unexpectedly came back to her, and the Vandals were unable to reply. Score: 1 to 4. Braves’ serve. San Carlos 15, Ashlee Bendle served into the net, and Vandal 8, Cheyene Lee did likewise. Score: 2 – 4.

San Carlos 9, Alyssa Sneezy brought the score to 4 - 4, with two aces before the Vandals returned the ball and the Braves didn’t. Score: 4 - 5. 

The Braves weren’t having things so easy this game. Vandal 11, Vavateh Channell served an ace, to make it 4 - 6. And after San Carlos dug well on return for the next ball, they experienced one of those “uh I thought you had it.” moments as their ball dropped into a ring of players. 

Score: 4-7. But Vandal, Channell put the ball into the net. Score: 5-7.

Then San Carlos 7, Tana Kozie got the serve and manhandled the score to 9-7. The next point was a long volley

that went to the Braves Score: 10-7. The Braves were ahead, five points away from winning the race to 15. But the vandals were not through yet.

Kozie put her next serve out of the park, giving the Vandals a point and the serve. Score: 10 - 8. Who was going to get those last few points?

Now Vandal 4, Tammy Stallings and her team won 4 points, on a short fail by the Braves, a long volley in which the Braves goofed first, a long volley which the Braves ended by killing the net, and a bad dig. Score 10 to 12.

They were 3 points from winning the game, when San Carlos 15, Ashley Bendle and her team mates broke the Vandals’ serve. Score: 12-13.

San Carlos 19, Kyree Dili tied the score with her serve and put San Carlos ahead 14-13 before San Carlos killed the net, giving the Vandals a point and the serve. Score: 14-14. It was the turn of San Carlos 17, Cayla Dazen.

The Braves gained a quick point to go ahead. In the next volley, the Vandals tipped to ball over the net, but San Carlos handled it and tipped it back for the game winning point. Final score 16-14. Strong serving won the 2nd set. The Braves made it through long volleys, and out-served the Vandals to win the final set and the game.

The JV teams were evenly matched, but in the Varsity game it was like big girls against young girls. The Braves hustled and struggled all the way but to no avail, but playing a fun game.