It was a largely one-sided affair as the Dougherty Valley High girls volleyball team fell to much-improved Las Lomas in three-straight sets Tuesday night in San Ramon, 25-10, 25-14, 25-14.
The Wildcats (7-7-0, 0-4 Diablo Foothill Athletic League) faltered out of the gate, falling behind 11-5 in the first game. After outlasting the Knights (10-8-1, 3-1) on what was likely the longest rally of the match to pull within five, coach Jen Wilson called a timeout so her team could catch its collective breath. However, when play resumed, it was the Knights who rattled off five-straight points, effectively putting game one out of reach.
During that run, Dougherty junior Jaina Jiz De Ortega sustained a mild head injury while diving for a ball. She returned later and served four-straight third-game points, good for the Wildcats' longest run of the match. Her left-handed stroke kept the Knights off-balance, and she added some fine defensive plays.
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Overall, however, the Wildcats didn't play as well as Wilson expected them to, and the Knights played better.
"They're probably a bit stronger than we anticipated," Wilson said. "They were consistent and we weren't. We couldn't seem to keep the ball in the court. Passing is usually our strength. We're kind of a smaller team without a lot of big power at the net, so we rely on passing to keep us in it. That didn't happen today."
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After the Wildcats fell behind early, junior Tiffany Dang came off the bench and provided some much-needed energy from the outside hitter position.
"We're a very quiet group," Wilson said. "(Dang) is one of our more aggressive players, and today she added that bit of firepower that we needed."
Senior Southern California transplant Chelsea Nascimento showed a lot of hustle at the libero position, playing solid defense and controlling the ball on a night where ball control was at a premium.
"Every coach I talk to is like, 'I'll trade you for her,' " laughed Wilson. "She does a really good job and makes a lot of good points."
The road ahead gets easier for the Wildcats, as they finish up this round of league play against Alhambra on Thursday and then Dublin Tuesday, teams that are a combined 1-5 in DFAL competition.
"You don't want to overlook anyone, but we're definitely focused on our next two matches," said Wilson.
Winning both would put Dougherty back over .500, a goal Wilson says she's looking for the Wildcats to achieve.
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