Bishop Diego girls volleyball’s season came to a close with a four-set loss to Wiseburn DaVinci in the second round of the CIF-SS Div. 6 playoffs on Thursday inside the Brick House.
The Cardinals won the opening set before dropping three in a row to the Wolves, 25-23, 16-25, 16-25, 20-25.
“Wiseburn is a talented group of players, many of whom play year-round volleyball,” Bishop Diego head coach Dillan Bennett said. “This was the first time we’ve run into a team that serves as tough, if not tougher than we do each day in practice, so we were at a disadvantage from that perspective most of the match.”
The Cardinals end the season with an overall record of 18-13 and a co-Tri-Valley League Championship with St. Bonaventure.
“his group of players has so many positive memories to look back on after a great season; wins against the local schools we scheduled, a co-league championship, and plenty of fun moments in practice and on the road,” Bennett said.
“By no means does this match tonight reflect their overall performance this season. Our players battled all the way to the end. What I think we’re sad about is that we don’t get to practice together again on Monday.”
Sophie Otte closed out her Bishop Diego career with a strong performance, tallying a team-high 18 kills along with four aces and a block.
Meanwhile, Karina Urzua was all over the court for the Cardinals to the tune of 28 assists, 12 digs, four aces and two blocks.
Natalie Chan followed up her Tri-Valley League singles championship in tennis earlier in the day with a seven-kill, nine-dig performance on the court.
“I’m very proud of the overall development of this group of players and how far they have come,” Bennett said.
“When you look at players like Sophie Otte, who played a new position this year and stepped into a major leadership position within our team, it’s a complete 180 degrees from last year serving as an important role player on a very talented team. She became such a strong presence on the court this year and embraced the challenge with all her heart, and I’m so proud of her and excited for her as she gets to begin her new chapter at the next level.
“Then you look at players like Olivia Leflang, Mollie McGibben, and Kate Douglas, who had almost no varsity experience in our program, who developed into starters and served in a variety of dynamic roles for us this year. Mollie didn’t miss a game, and as a middle, that’s a huge statement of dedication and hard work. Olivia and Kate also learned new positions along the way and did a really nice job throughout the season.”