Bishop Diego girls volleyball overcame a slow start to earn a four-set win over Indio High in the first round of the CIF-SS Div. 6 playoffs on Tuesday inside the Brick House.
After dropping the opening set, the Cardinals found their rhythm to keep their season alive, 19-25, 25-22, 25-11, 25-10.
“Our kids had a little different day leading up to the match with PSAT testing and a little adventure day for the seniors up at Alisal Ranch,” Bishop Diego head coach Dillan Bennett said. “Once we got our engines revved up in the match and pushed through some early jitters, we regained our rhythm and confidence.
I’m very pleased with how a group of players with very little playoff experience settled in and turned things around on their home floor.”
The Cardinals (18-12) will remain at home and host Wiseburn DaVinci on Thursday at 6 p.m. inside the Brick House.
“We always talk about getting to earn another day of practice when it comes to playoff time,” Bennett said. “I’m proud of the kids for earning another day of practice tomorrow as we prepare for the next match.”
In the fourth set of Tuesday’s match, Karina Urzua ripped off 16 serves in a row for the Cardinals, seven of which were unreturned. At the end of her run, Bishop Diego held a commanding 17-2 lead. She ended the day with 12 total aces.
“Karina’s performance from the service line was unbelievable considering halfway through the run, she decided to rattle off eight consecutive jump spin serves, which is something she’s been working hard on,” Bennett said.
Meanwhile, Siena Jensen made her CIF-SS playoff debut and hammered down six kills on eight attempts for the Cardinals. Sophie Otte led the Bishop Diego offense with 13 kills to go along with four blocks.
“Siena came in without any practice in the position and gave us a reliable option in the front row, both attacking and blocking,” Bennett said.