Cardinals take 5-set rivalry match at Brickhouse

After starting off their Tri-Valley League campaigns with 0-3 records, the Bishop Diego and Carpinteria girls volleyball teams came into Tuesday’s clash at The Brickhouse very, very hungry.

Bishop ended up with a full belly, as the Cardinals fought back from a 2-1 deficit to pull out a 25-13, 20-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-9 win over the Warriors in front of a rowdy crowd.

“It’s nice to go into a match and be able to really compete… The 5-game matches are what you live for,” said Bishop coach Joe Reiken.

Diana Sleep had 11 kills on the night while Janelle Kohler added seven and McKenna Hogue chipped in six. Freshman Lauren Underwood was stellar at the service line, rattling off four aces.

Carpinteria looked outmatched in the first set, but flipped a switch and played excellent defense to pull out the second and third games. Kelci Jones was the Warrior kill-leader with 12, and Megan McMahon was close behind with 11. Erin Harris had five blocks, and Yadira Saldana had 15 digs.

“I was definitely proud of how the girls came back after the first game,” said coach Katie Dolge. “It would have been a big boost for us to get this win. This rivalry is very emotional, and it’s especially tough on the visiting team.”

Underwood, who plays in the front and back rows as a freshman for the young Cardinals, spent more time serving the ball than anyone else. In fact, she served 13 of the Cardinals’ points in the first set alone.

“She has a low float serve that’s been hard for our opponents to deal with all year,” noted Reiken.

Underwood had three aces in a 4-point span late in the first set, including one that ricocheted off of a Carpinteria player’s arms and into the basketball hoop behind the court.

The second game was a completely different story, as McMahon opened the set with a kill and the Warriors never trailed the rest of the way. The score was tied as late as 15-15, but Genny Annable notched a kill to start a 3-point run and Carpinteria kept a comfortable cushion down the stretch.

McMahon put another ball away to start the third, then tallied two consecutive kills on the right side a few points later as the Warriors stormed out to a 13-5 lead. Harris and Annable had back-to-back blocks during the opening run. The lead was cut to four after an Underwood tip cut the Warrior lead to 23-19, but Caitlin Wallace put away the deciding point just a few moments later.

A solo block by Hogue put the Cardinals up 10-3 to start the fourth set. Sleep, who had to be taped up after she began bleeding from her elbow late in the third game, put away four kills and nabbed an ace within a 9-point stretch in the middle of the game. Reiken, who had been outwardly upset with his players during the previous two sets, was all smiles by that point and seemed especially happy with Hogue’s play at the net.

“She’s not usually a middle blocker. She’s sort of had to step into that role unexpectedly and she did a nice job,” he said.

An ace by McMahon cut the Bishop lead to 21-16 but the Cardinals were in control the whole way, forcing a fifth and final game.

Bishop was down 3-1 to start the fifth but stormed back in a hurry. Back-to-back aces by Jenna McIntyre in the final stretch ealed the victory.

“It feels amazing to pull out a win like this,” said Kohler, one of the few seniors on the Cardinals roster. “This team is going to be so good in the future, and it’s great to watch the younger players grow.

Before the match, the Cardinals (2-4, 1-3) presented a card to Carpinteria (1-6, 0-4) player Jeanine Van Wingerden, who broke her foot during warm-ups before the teams played each other in the Carpinteria Tournament earlier in the season. Dolge said that the senior, a key player in the middle for the Warriors, hopes to be back for the next Bishop match.

Meanwhile, Reiken said he was excited to see Nicole Tetherow back from injury and playing so well.

“I was delighted to see her back out there really showing her leadership abilities,” he said. “She tied everything together for us tonight.”