It may have been a non-league match but the results were still the same.
Cate’s girls volleyball team played a non-leaue opponent for the first time this season outside of a tournament setting on Saturday and defeated Malibu 25-9, 25-17, 25-20.
Cate (11-0, 10-0) is the No. 1 team in CIF Division 4A.
“It was Family Weekend at Cate so the bleachers were full of family and friends,” said Rams head coach Greg Novak.
Cate channeled the energy from their big home crowd and came out hot. Malibu was stronger in the second and third sets, taking an 18-15 lead in the third game. But Cate rallied to win behind the play of Delaney Mayfield and Jillian Rogers. Mayfield was responsible for five of Cate’s final six points with four kills and a block.
“Our serving continues to stay steady and has become a serious weapon,” Novak explained. “Everyone on the team is finding and hitting their targets from the service line. It makes a big difference when we’re able to take the opponent out of system.”
Peyton Shelburne and Mayfield led the team with nine kills each. Maddie Becker had seven and Xandrine Griffin added with five kills from the middle. Setter Hannah Barr ran the offense.
Cate’s next match is on Tuesday versus Santa Paula.
