The Avalon High girls volleyball team is poised for a potential post-season run, as the Lancers are now 14-4 overall and ranked No. 2 in the CIF-SS Division 9 rankings. The Lancers are coming off two sweeps over the weekend. Both were double-match meetings, adding four wins to the Lancers’ overall record.
Their win over league foe Pacifica Christian was particularly impressive as it solidified the Lancers grip on the Academy League race. It was also a win over a playoff contender as Pacifica Christian is currently ranked No. 3 in the Division 8 poll and looking to make their own post-season noise.
The Lancers needed five game to take the first match against the Tritons. Each set was close, but the Lancers prevailed 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-13. The second match took four sets, with the fourth going long on points, 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 28-26.
“I’m so incredibly proud of what these girls have been able to accomplish so far this season we have been improving so much and tackling every obstacle thus far,” Head Coach Carlos Martinez said.
Prior to the sweep of Pacifica Christian, the Lancers took care of University Pathways Public Service Academy fairly handily. The Lancers swept both matches in three sets. The first was a 25-12, 25-8, 25-16 sweep and the second went 25-2, 25-12, 25-10. Pathways is a fairly new school but the Lancers showed that they were not going to play down to teams with less experience.
In the two matches, Virginia Soto led them with 21 aces, 116 assists, 29 kills, 36 digs and 4 blocks. Lizette Cervantes had 13 aces, 46 kills and 79 digs. Vanessa Rodriguez had 16 aces, 101 serve receptions and 144 digs and played some incredible defense.
Martinez said the team has continued to improve this season and are defining a new culture for the Lancers girls volleyball program.
“This is really a great group of girls. The work they put in and the chemistry and friendship they share is special,” Martinez said
