Two Trans-Valley League contests both went in the win column for Escalon’s varsity Lady Cougars volleyball team this past week.

The girls are hitting stride as they look to enter the postseason on a high note.

They traveled to Livingston on Monday, Oct. 9and won in straight sets, 25-12, 25-10, 25-12.

“I think we played pretty soundly Monday, we tried a few different line ups and had some fun,” said head coach Shay Beam. “On the service line Lisa Murga had eight aces and Peyton Houser Keaton had six. Chloe Fraser had a good game in the front row having eight kills, Claire Barkus had six and Ashlee Conde had four.”

Karisa McNeil added to the win with 15 assists and Kendra Gwartney filled the libero position against Livingston and had 10 digs.

“Wednesday we played Hughson at home, the first time we played them they managed to take a set off us, they also recently beat Hilmar in a tough match so we knew we had to take care of business,” Beam explained. “Wednesday was also Senior Night so a lot of our girls wanted to step up for our three seniors.”

Recognized in a ceremony with their families prior to the game were seniors Kendra Gwartney, Macie Vickers and Sophia Martin, all of whom have been integral parts of the varsity squad and have earned both TVL and Section championship titles.

“The scores were 27-25, 25-20 and 25-23,” Beam noted of the tough battle against Hughson. “In sets one and three we came back from big point deficits to win the sets. I was very proud of them, there were a lot of distractions Wednesday and Hughson came ready to play.”

Beam said the setters “did a great job finding our middles” and making smart choices against the Huskies.

“I think that was a big reason why we were successful,” the coach said. “Claire Barkus and Lisa Murga each had seven kills. Aniston Hunt had 11 assists and Karisa McNeil had 10.”

Senior Vickers had five aces and 12 digs on the night.

The girls close out the league campaign with a road trip to Hilmar on Oct. 18, then will see when and where their postseason schedule begins.

JV/Freshmen

Both younger teams also got wins this week on the court, traveling Monday and at home Wednesday.

The JV girls beat Livingston on Oct. 9 in a sweep with scores of 25-12, 25-6. Lesley Cardenas paced the team with seven aces and four assists. Marissa Terry had three kills and Madi Babasa had three digs.

“The girls did well at controlling the speed of the game and kept their focus throughout the entire game,” said head coach Alyssa Cogburn.

Wednesday, they topped Hughson 25-10, 25-18. Marina Franzia had five aces, Lesley Cardenas had seven assists. Jayci Trimble added five kills and Emma Rangel notched 11 digs.

“The team started out really strong and carried it throughout the game,” Cogburn said “The energy was really high and everyone worked really well together. I’m very proud of their dedication and teamwork that they showed.”

The freshmen swept Livingston 25-14, 26-24 in the road game on Oct. 9.

Violet DaSilva had four aces, Samari Webster had 13 setting assists while Arianna Velasco had six kills.

“Brynn Caton had a 2.3 average serve receive and Hennessey Mayns had three digs,” said coach Morgan Gomez.

The frosh squad then swept to a Wednesday night win over Hughson, 25-13, 25-22.

Webster had four aces and six assists, Haven Mackinnon had four kills and Caton had seven digs.

“I’m very proud of our week and of this freshman team’s ability to stay calm and adjust to these mid-game position changes,” Gomez said. “We have been actively working on these “what if” scenarios in practice and becoming more well-rounded players while also learning to not only read the other side of the court, but pay attention to our own side, more specifically our teammates, mainly asking them that if their teammate is struggling, what can they do to help them out physically and mentally.”

The strategy has paid dividends, the coach said, translating into a stronger unit on the court.

“What I’m noticing is that these players are starting to look at each other more and they’re making better snap decisions which is making their teammates’ job even easier,” she noted. “It’s just what every coach wants to see, especially towards the end of a freshman season.”