The Clovis North girls volleyball team is in the midst of one of its best seasons in program history. At 28-2 coming into Thursday’s contest against Clovis West, dominance seemed not strong enough a word to describe what the Broncos have accomplished thus far.
After a hard-fought match, the Broncos dispatched the Golden Eagles 3-1 in the opening match of round two of TRAC play.
The Golden Eagles gave the Broncos all they wanted, holding at least a 3-point advantage in every set.
Clovis West jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set by showcasing its creative offensive attack, employing misdirection and good ball movement from side to side.
West held a 6-point lead twice in the set at 8-2 and 13-7, but the Broncos had been there before against the Golden Eagles. During the Broncos 3-1 home victory Sept. 24, West held a 7-point advantage in the only set it won.
This time, the Broncos made sure there was a different outcome.
The Broncos rallied to score 19 of the next 30 points to win the set 26-24 and a 1-0 lead heading into the second frame.
Clovis North took full control of the second set after 18 points, using the height of players like 6-0 middle blocker Cadee Amundsen, 6-2 opposite hitter Brooke Freeman and 5-10 opposite hitter Regan Jackson to block some of Clovis West’s attempts at the net.
“We knew that we had to match their defensive intensity,” Clovis North coach Travis Herb said.
“I still think they played better than us on defense, but what we were doing on offense really made it tough for them.”
The Broncos finished the second set by splitting the next 24 points evenly with the Golden Eagles, and fortunately for North, that was enough to win.
West secured its only set of the match in the third with excellent serves that put the Broncos in tough positions to set up good chances to hit the ball with authority. Couple that with some unforced Broncos errors like hitting the net on serves, and the Golden Eagles were able to eke out a slim 25-22 victory.
West once again jumped out to a 4-1 lead after five points in the fourth set, but for a team like the Broncos, a three-point lead can evaporate into thin air at the drop of a hat, and that is exactly what happened.
The Broncos fought back and eventually held a slim 18-17 lead, but closed the set on a 7-2 run to win the set 25-19, securing victory number 29 on the season.
Now 30-3 on the season, the Broncos are undefeated at 6-0 in the TRAC, with second place Clovis two games behind at 4-2 in league play and a 24-13 overall record.