Borrego Sun - Since 1949

It was an exciting second set, as the Lady Rams volleyball team hoped to take down a tough West Shores team. With much back-and-forth, West Shores were on top, and never looked back.

The Lady Rams dropped the game in three sets, 25 – 5, 28 – 26, 25 – 14 on Sept. 30, their first league loss of the season.

The team bounced back into the win column, as they swept Julian and Warner Springs on Oct. 5 and Oct. 7, respectively.

The Lady Rams are currently in second place in the Southern Manzanita League with a 3 –1 record sitting right behind West Shores who are undefeated in the league. Overall on the season, the Lady Rams have an 11 – 9 record.

Against West Shores, both teams were on the board early in the first set, as they each exchanged errors.

Senior Brianna Del Bono served up an ace to break the tie and take a 2 – 1 lead. However, that would be the only lead the Lady Rams would get in the first set.

The Lady Wildcats found their rhythm, and dominated the rest of the set, too much for the Lady Rams to come back from, as they dropped the set, 25 – 5.

The second set was a thriller. It started out much different, in favor of the Lady Rams, who began to click better than the first, and kept the set close.

The Lady Rams were on the board first after a tip by senior Angelina Sanchez.

West Shores were stopped by the net consecutive times, and with an ace by Del Bono, the Lady Rams found themselves up 5 – 0.

Though, the Lady Wildcats were on the board after an error by the Lady Rams and back-to-back aces, to cut the lead to 5 – 3

Again, back-and-forth both teams went. The Lady Rams managed to take the lead thanks to back-to-back aces by senior Isabel Arteaga, 11 – 10.

As both teams continued to battle it out on the court, it was anybody's game at this point.

Tied at 19, the Lady Wildcats were stopped at the net, Sanchez with the ace, and Arteaga with the kill, pushing the Lady Rams to lead 22 – 19.

Arteaga leads the team with 39 serving aces.

But this did not stop the Lady Wildcats from coming back. As both were tied at 24, Del Bono once again did what she does best at the net. When she is not spiking the ball past the defenders, she is making big blocks at the net. Del Bono had a block at the net, as the Lady Rams took a 25 – 24 lead.

The Lady Wildcats did not let it get to them and went for back-to-back kills.

Del Bono had a kill to answer to tie it at 26.

Del Bono leads the team in kills with 24 on the season.

However, an error by the Lady Rams and a tip at the net gave the Lady Wildcats the set win.

The Lady Rams hoped to redeem a bittersweet loss in the second set. However, the Lady Wildcats seemed to bring the momentum from the second set into the third, as they took a big 7 – 0 lead. Thankfully, an error by the Lady Wildcats finally put the Lady Rams on the board.

Del Bono served up consecutive aces to cut the deficit to 7 – 5.

However, it seemed that West Shores took advantage of the miscues and errors committed by the Lady Rams, as they pushed their lead even further. Once again, the lead was too much to overcome, and the Lady Wildcats sealed the set and the game, 25 – 14.

Despite the sweep, this does not take away from the long rallies that the Lady Rams continued to keep going. No, it did not always go their way, but they did not give up.

There are a few kinks the Lady Rams will continue to iron out, and as the season comes to an end this month, they will surely dominate.

The Lady Rams will travel to West Shores on Oct. 19 in hopes of redeeming their previous loss, and hope to retake first place in league play. The match is set to begin at 5 p.m.

The team will then return home on Oct. 21 against Julian, in their last home game of the regular season.