Gold Country! Sonora defeats Hilmar to earn third consecutive volleyball crown

Posing for pictures with the blue section championship banner never gets old.

Just ask Sonora High School senior Kelsie Evans, who celebrated Sonora’s third consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV volleyball championship Saturday with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-21 win over second-seeded Hilmar at Tokay High.

Evans played big down the stretch in the final two sets to help the Wildcats close the sweep. The senior recorded three kills and one block late in the second set to hold off a Yellowjackets charge.

Evans also helped Sonora outscore Hilmar 9-3 to overcome an 18-16 deficit and complete the sweep.

“I knew I got some kills in the first set,” Evans said. “We were checking out areas to kind of see (where to attack). I was able to get kills (at that point) more often than not.”

Evans is the daughter of Sonora coach Kim Evans. It’s been quite a ride for the mother-daughter combo, including a state championship last year. It’s led to a lot of volleyball talk around the Evans home.

“All the time,” Kelsie said when asked if she and her mom talk volleyball off the court. “Mostly, she tells me things I already know. Being a coach’s kid, I probably could run a team by myself at this point.”

After losing seven seniors from the state championship team, Sonora wasn’t sure a third section title would be in the picture this year, but Evans, Riley Patterson and Kiana Pisulaplayed big roles this season.

“Day one, I told the girls, ‘We’re not defending anything. That state championship trophy sits in the foyer of Bud Castle Gym and it defends itself,’ ” Kim Evans said. “In August, it was a long shot ... losing seven seniors off a team that just won the state title. We’re a group of young players; not all of them have played club ball.”

While both teams will advance to the NorCal Regional playoffs Tuesday, the Wildcats (31-4) denied Hilmar (36-7) and its star, Emily Baptista, a section title for the third consecutive season.

“It’s really disappointing,” Baptista said. “Sonora is really a good team, but I knew we had a good chance if we played our game and played as a team. I think the fact that we’re playing for a section title got to us.”

Baptista did her part, finishing with 18 kills and two aces.

After struggling in the first set, the Yellowjackets had opportunities in the final two sets but couldn’t finish either.

“I know Emily very well, and I know how bad she wanted this,” Kim Evans said. “It’s bittersweet because I wanted her to have this as well.”

The second set was tied 19-all, but Sonora outscored Hilmar 6-3.

Hilmar led 17-13 in the third set, forcing the Wildcats to call a timeout. The Yellowjackets let Sonora back in the set with uncharacteristic mistakes, and the Wildcats closed the door.

“We couldn’t keep the pressure on them,” said Hilmar coach Patti Harris, whose team will not have to deal with the Wildcats next year since they’ll be moved up to Division III by the section’s three-peat rule. “Sonora is a great defensive team. They were picking everything up. Then, we did things on the court we haven’t done all season. It’s unfortunate it had to happen in a section finals. We let balls drop.”

Kelsie Evans finished with 15 kills and two blocks. Patterson had 13 kills.

While her mother wasn’t sure about a three-peat, Kelsie was confident they could bring home another blue banner.

“Definitely, I always thought, ‘Why not us?’ There were doubts, not only from the team but the coaches as well,” Kelsie said. “I never had those. I knew we’d get sections.”

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 6:37 PM with the headline "Gold Country! Sonora defeats Hilmar to earn third consecutive volleyball crown."