The Hawks volleyball team took a loss against the Sierra College Wolverines on Wednesday in a three-set sweep.
Although the Hawks fell short, they fought hard and kept within a close score until the end. They had many successful rallies that would put them on top, but in the end, Sierra had the most kills.
Freshman outside hitter Kaylie Reyes came in strong in the second set after not playing for the past few months due to being gone on an outside injury.
“That girl absolutely did it, she came out and she killed it,” said assistant coach Erin Chellini. “Her first game had a positive hitting percentage and her effect on the team on the court while watching was obvious to everyone in the gym.”
Reyes brought energy on to the court and even during times they were down. She, alongside her teammates, cheered each other on, making sure all their efforts did not go unnoticed until the last set was over.
“When we are on the court, it’s inevitable that we are going to make mistakes, so we just make sure to keep our spirits high,” Reyes said.
In the second set, the Hawks started off strong, making good blocks from Sierra’s outside hitter, which gave them the ball and tied the score after an ace served by freshman setter Ella Cline. Sierra ended up winning the set 25-19.
In the third set, sophomore outside hitter Jordyn Kwalwasser served two aces in a row, putting them at 4-3 against Sierra. Sierra served, but in a rally Kwalwasser spiked the ball past a block, allowing them to sideout and get the ball back. Even though the Hawks were still down in score, they kept fighting.
Sophomore middle blocker Abigail Siever said whenever there is a play that’s not in their favor, it is important to forget about the mistake and just keep moving forward.
“It needs to be water under the bridge because if we start dwelling on it, it just gets in our heads. Our teammates come up to us and are like, ‘Hey, you got the next one,’” Siever said. “We have to know in our brain we got the next one, we have to let that mistake go so we can move forward and make the next play.”
They lost their third set 25-16, but throughout the game they had good hustle and communication with one another. They never gave up and continued to fight hard even when the odds were against them.
“It was a good game, maybe we didn’t come out on top, but they were working well and were fighting for every point,” said assistant coach Michaela Bennett-Wells.
The Hawks played Friday at American River College and lost in three sets.
As they head into their next game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Diablo Valley College, the team plans to refocus its efforts, said Bennett-Wells.
“We’re focusing on us, focusing on their weak spots and our strong aspects, so that we can come back on top,” said Bennett-Wells.