The beach volleyball team played aggressively at the Big 8 Paris Conference Championship on April 25th.

The Hawks played against eight other teams, including Sacramento City College and Folsom Lake College at the tournament.

Head Coach Kari Nahlen said the girls worked very hard and that she is proud of the girls’ rankings in 14th and sixth place.

“They just really pushed,” Nahlen said. “I mean, out of 20 teams that are just amazing teams to have, they gave us a huge powerhouse conference. That just shows that we are right in it and that we are a powerhouse team, or becoming one at least.”

Freshman split blocker Kaylie Reyes and sophomore split blocker Cassidy Pham dominated their matches with aggressive hits and sets, beating their own teammates, Jordyn Kwalwasser and Abigail Siever, in their CRC vs CRC match.

Reyes said that her and Pham had to work at being smart with shots and how to hit shots that opponents were not expecting.

“Obviously everybody else can hit straight down, but we were just trying our best to put it in spots that they won’t know,” Reyes said.

Pham and Reyes won two out of three matches, with their two wins earning them sixth place with San Joaquin Delta taking fifth.

Sophomore big Siever and sophomore split blocker Kwalwasser started off losing their first match, but gained momentum as the matches went on.

“Not the outcome we were hoping for, but we fought as a team and that’s all you can ask for,” Kwalwasser said.

After the loss Kwalwasser and Siever continued to play aggressively and had good blocks and hits, winning one out of four matches in the tournament.

“We’re very offensive heavy,” Kwalwasser said. “We do a lot more hitting and we’re very strong in that aspect, so that’s what we’re really comfortable with.”

Kwalwasser and Siever took 14th place in the consolation matches, with Sierra College beating them for 13th place.

The Hawks advanced their way into the Paris Regional Championship before ending their season on May 3.