The Matilda Torres Toros girls volleyball team have suffered a rash of injuries, and they all came at the same position, before Tuesday’s match with the Merced Bears.
Before the match, Trinity Anderson and Alana Hammon were in street clothes. Senior middle blocker Noelia Calvillo was trying to make her season debut, but injured herself in warm-ups.
First-year head coach Casey Yang had to juggle his line-up, and the Toros couldn’t overcome the losses in a three-set sweep to the Bears.
The match was played rather evenly. Merced had 27 kills, and the Toros had 24 kills. Merced had 14 aces while Torres had eight.
Torres hit out of bounds 13 times and Merced hit out of bounds 13 times. Merced hit into the net 10 times while the Toros hit into the net six times.
Tarin Anderson and Mya Lujan led the Toros with seven kills each. Amelia Specials added five kills.
The Toros fell behind early, but an Anderson kill and an Alexa Cervantes ace tied the set at three. Merced scored four straight points before a missed serve led to a six-point run.
Bella Laredo served up an ace while Anderson had a kill in the run. Merced had three hitting errors to help the Toros to a 10-7 lead.
Merced scored three points to tie the set at 10. Specials put down a kill for a two-point lead, but Merced scored the next three before another Specials kill.
Anderson served up two points for a 15-13 lead. Merced took the lead with two kills and an ace, but a missed serve tied the set at 16.
The Bears got the side out, and scored seven straight points for a 23-16 lead.
Lujan got a side out kill, but the Bears recorded back-to-back kills for a 25-17 win.
In the second set, the Bears opened a 5-1 lead. The Toros tried to battle back with side out kill from Adi Munguia and Lujan.
After a missed serve, Cervantes served up six straight points, including a pair of aces and a Lujan kill for a 13-12 lead. An Anderson side out kill led to an ace from Laredo, and a 16-13 lead.
Another Anderson ace led to a three-point run. Anderson served up two more points with a Specials and Destiny Miranda dual block for a 20-15 lead.
Specials put down a kill to the back corner for a side out. However, Torres hit out of bounds twice, and Merced served up an ace and put down a kill to tie the set at 20.
A trade in side outs led to a three straight points by Merced to get to set point, 24-22.
After a missed Merced serve, the Toros tied the set at 24. However, a missed serve gave Merced set point, and the Bears put down a kill for a 26-24 win.
In the third set, Merced took a 7-4 after back-to-back aces.
Specials put down a side out kill, and assisted on a Miranda kill. Munguia found the back corner for a kill to tie the set at seven.
After a trade in side outs, Specials served up an ace and Lujan put down a kill for an 11-8 lead.
Two Torres miscues cut the lead to one. Merced recorded four aces, a kill and a solo block during an eight-point run to take a 16-11 lead.
The Toros got the side out, and Miranda served up three straight points, including an ace, to cut the lead to one. Merced served up an ace for a three-point lead before a Lujan side out kill.
Cervantes served up two points to tie the set at 18. However, Merced scored three straight points to take a 21-18 lead.
Lujan put down a kill off a Merced defender’s head, and Laredo served up appoint to cut the lead to one.
However, the teams closed exchanged five straight side outs with Anderson putting down two side out kills. On match point, Torres hit into the net for a 25-22 Merced win for the sweep.