The California Pintos improve to a 10-0-1 record with a three-set victory over the Cole Camp Blue Birds, Sept. 10. The Pintos won the first set 25-14, but dropped the second set 25-17, before winning the final set 25-16.
The third set was tight from the very first point, as both teams traded points early until California won three points in a row to make it a 8-5 game. But Cole Camp responded by taking eight of the next 12 points to take a 13-12 lead.
California went on a tear with an 11-point winning streak to take a 23-13 advantage. The Pintos were able to hold on, after one last push by Cole Camp, to give the Pintos a 25-16 win in the third set.
During the big 11-point winning streak in the final set, Bailey said that multiple players stepped up.
"Quinn Albertson's serving again came in, Gracie George had some outstanding plays just from pure hustle, and other girls stepping up and taking on roles. Sincere Mullins had an outstanding outside attack and Hailey Cain had four or five kills in a row."
Bailey said the team had a good intensity level in their win over Cole Camp.
In the first set, the Pintos took the first five points before Cole Camp narrowed the gap to 5-3. California then went on a massive scoring run and stretched its lead to 22-9.
The second set produced a different result, with Cole Camp in control most of the way. The Pintos jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead. But the Blue Birds fought back and took a 6-5 lead, which was their first lead of the night. That lead quickly grew to 10-5 for Cole Camp.
After a timeout was called, with the Pintos down 10-6, California reduced the deficit to 12-11. Cole Camp responded by winning five of the next six points to make it 17-12. California fought to bring the set within a point at 18-17. After another timeout, Cole Camp closed out the set on a seven-point winning streak.
Head coach Julie Bailey said the Pintos struggled receiving serves.
Bailey said the biggest difference between the first and second set were the team's passes and defense.
"We had outstanding passing in the first set of serve receives, great digs, and we were able to set the ball up offensively and get an attack," Bailey said. "But in that second set, we were not getting good passes of serve receives, we were not getting good digs on defense and it was hard for us to get an offensive attack going. We were making it too easy for them to hit it at us."
The second set in games seem to give California some trouble.
"I don't know what our deal is with second sets," Bailey said. "I think I said this last year, in the second set we have to come out and do what we do in the first set, when we are winning and not lose that second set."
The Pintos next game is at home against Blair Oaks at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13.