Volleyball notebook: Beyer one of many teams hunting playoff success after league title
The Beyer High volleyball team has made its presence known against Western Athletic Conference opponents.
In the past two seasons, the Patriots have a combined 29-0 league record.
The program has gone through a transition in recent years and when head coach Melinda Freeman took over last season, she knew the team could be special.
“When I came into it last year, I knew that there was talent on the team, I just didn’t know how to put it all together until we really started practicing and playing against some competition,” she said. “When I saw what we had, we just really tried to utilize players to their best abilities.”
Three-year varsity outside hitter Raena Sharp has seen her team continue to get better.
“I’ve had three different coaches over these past years,” the senior said. “I’ve seen the improvement and how our team has come together and worked more as a team.”
For junior Fallon Freeman, a lot of that has to do with chemistry.
“We’ve been getting together whenever we can and just working together,” the team’s leader in kills said. “Practices can be a little funky but we always end up pulling it through.”
The next step for the Patriots is winning a playoff game.
“Last year, we lost our first playoff game to Hilmar,” Fallon Freeman said. “I think it’s just all about starting over, starting fresh.”
Melinda Freeman, Fallon’s mother, agreed: “We definitely want to win our playoff game and then see what goes beyond that. Getting a playoff win for these girls will only help them for next year.”
The Patriots, along with 12 other Stanislaus District teams, are chasing postseason success. The fight for a blue banner starts Tuesday at 7 p.m.
No Stanislaus District play in games
The 2022 volleyball postseason begins Monday night with play-in games for Divisions I, II and III. Though no Stanislaus District teams play, a few will be checking for results. The Division III play-in between No. 16 Poineer and No. 17 Pacheco directly impacts No. 1 Escalon. The Cougars will play the winner of that game in Tuesday’s first-round home matchup. If Beyer wins it’s first round home match against No. 9 Nevada Union, it will play the winner of that game Thursday, Oct. 27.
Turlock travels to Davis Tuesday. The No. 9 Bulldogs match up against the No. 8 Blue Devils and should they win, will play the winner of No. 1 St. Mary’s and Armijo/Edison. The No. 17 Royals and No. 16 Vikings matchup Monday for a shot at the Division I top seed.
CCAL champion looking to make postseason run
Central California Athletic League champion Pitman earned a top 5 seed in the Division I bracket for the third time since 2016. In 2018, the No. 4 seeded Pride beat Davis High in the first round before losing in the quarterfinals. Pitman also received a No. 4 seed in 2016, the last year it won a section title.
After securing their second straight league title, the No. 3 seed Pride will look to get back on top. They worked their way up the MaxPreps standings, ending the regular season ranked the third best team in the Sac-Joaquin Section after winning 25 straight games. They start Tuesday against a West team that finished fourth in the competitive Tri-City Athletic League. Their 28 regular season wins are the most of any Pitman team since 2014.
Local teams hosting games
Just two Stanislaus District teams earned No. 1 overall seeds. While Escalon (Division III) will play Tuesday, Ripon Christian (Division V) has a bye Tuesday. Here is a list of local first-round games:
Division I: No. 14 West at No. 3 Pitman
Division III: Pacheco/Pioneer at No. 1 Escalon, No. 9 Nevada Union at No. 8 Beyer, No. 12 Merced at No. 5 Oakdale
Division IV: No. 9 Dixon at No. 8 Orestimba, No. 12 Calaveras at No. 5 Central Catholic, No. 10 Woodland at No. 7 Hughson, No. 15 Highlands at No. 2 Ripon
All games begin at 7 p.m.
Teams looking to repeat
All three Stanislaus District teams that advanced to section title games last season won. Escalon, Ripon Christian and Big Valley Christian swept their championship matches, making quick work of Sonora, Vacaville Christian and Forest Lake Christian, respectively. The Cougars and Knights are looking to three-peat this year. Escalon, which won its most recent titles in Division IV, will look to secure its first ever Division III championship after being moved up for playoffs due to the section’s continued success rule. Big Valley Christian also moves up to Division V after winning the Division VI title last year. Ripon Christian (Division V) remains in the same divisions in which they won last season.
All three return key players from last year which has led to combined 75-12 overall and 36-0 league records. Jordan Vander Veen (403), Emily Vickers (338) and Trinity Beers (267) rank among the top 15 in the section in kills.
