Lady Broncs host CIF game Tuesday.
Alex Armes, Varsity Volleyball, 12th Grade. Photo by Isabel Anzaldo
Being the No. 1 seed in the CIF playoffs puts a target on your back. The Lady Broncs team have handled that with glowing success.
They started the CIF playoffs with a match against Chavez. They dispatched the Lady Titans with ease winning in three straight sets. They began with a 25-4 first set win. The second set was a little tougher, but in the end Kern Valley came away with the 25-15 win to put them up 2-0. They finished off Chavez with a 25-17 win in the third and final set. This pushed them to the quarterfinals.
Jessie Bunting and Ruby Hawkins combined for 29 kills in the match. Bunting had 16, while Hawkins finished with 13 kills. Ava Elliott contributed three kills, while Paisley Wilkins, Scarlett Weber, and Ellie Allen had one kill apiece. On the service front, The Lady Broncs put 68-of-69 serves in play. They managed just five aces in the match. Alex Armes had three aces, while Wilkins had a pair of aces. Wilkins also led the team in assists with 27. Jayda Bushling had two assists, while Allen and Elli Jeans each had one assist. The dig leader for the Lady Broncs was shared by three players. Wilkins, Armes, and Bushling each recorded eight digs. Jeans finished with seven digs, while Mille Bustamonte had six. Elliott and Allen each had four digs, while Bunting recorded two digs. Hawkins wrapped up the digs with one. On the defensive side of the net, Kern Valley saw Hawkins get credit for a pair of solo blocks.
They continued the run through the playoffs as up next was a familiar foe, the Frazier Mountain Lady Falcons came to town. This would prove to be a much harder contest as the match went to five sets. Kern Valley took the early lead as they won the first set 25-21. The Lady Falcons bounced back to even the match at one set apiece with the 25-21 win in the second set. The third set was won by Kern Valley 25-19 to put them up 2-1. Frazier Mountain once again came back and won 25-19 to send the match to the decider. With the winner take all set, the Lady Broncs hung on to win 15-12 to allow them to advance to the semi-finals.
Once again putting the serve in play was instrumental in Kern Valley advancing further in the CIF playoffs. They delivered a team total of 92 serves with only five errors. The collected seven aces as a team, led by Armes with four. Bushling, Jeans and Wilkins each had one service ace. Hawkings was dominate at the net as she collected a team-high 16 kills. Bunting followed with 12 kills, while Weber finished with six kills. Allen totaled five kills, while Jeans delivered four kills. Elliott was credited with one kill. Getting the ball to the front to push the offense was Wilkins with 35 assists. Leenah Troller had five assists.
On the defensive side of the net, Kern Valley was led by Bushling with 26 digs. Elliott finished with 16, while Jeans had 15 digs. Armes followed with 14 digs, while Wilkins recorded nine digs. Hawkins when in the back row was credited with six digs. Weber and Allen each had four digs, while Bustamonte had three. Bunting and Troller were credited with one dig apiece. Jeans collected the lone solo block, while Hawkins and Elliott shared a block at the net.
With the first two rounds over with, the Lady Broncs were home on Tuesday to face off with Coalinga (28-8, 10-0 in the West Sierra League) They are currently on a 10-game winning streak. To get this far they defeated Lompoc to begin the playoffs. They finished off Kennedy to reach the semi-finals.
