Results tagged “Yucaipa High School Boys Volleyball” from Yucaipa Now

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds boys volleyball team ran into a couple of big roadblocks, by the names of Rene Anaya and Hasani Gladney, and those two middle blockers for the Montebello Oilers were big factors in the Oilers three-game victory over Yucaipa in CIF Southern Section Division IV Playoffs Tuesday at Yucaipa High School.

Montebello (17-6, 9-1 Almont League, #2 seed) swept Yucaipa 25-15, 25-22, 26-24, to knock the Thunderbirds out of the playoffs and end their season with 15-4 record.

"Hasani (Gladney, 15 kills) is the MVP of our league and he and Anaya (12 kills) played well tonight," said Montebello coach, Greg Ng. "I thought if we kept up our intensity tonight and played defense and played smart that we would win."

Yucaipa Head Coach, Gail Diliberto acknowledged that Montebello has talent, but she added that the Thunderbirds simply did not have a good night.

YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds boys volleyball team hosts Montebello Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division IV Playoffs.

Both teams swept aside their first-round opponents by 3-1 scores, and come into the match as the #1 teams from their leagues.

Yucaipa won the Citrus Belt League with a 12-2 record, 15-3 overall, while the Montebello Oilers claimed the Almont League championship with a 9-1 record, 16-6 overall.

Yucaipa met Ganesha in the first round on Friday and the match proved a thriller with Yucaipa prevailing 26-24, 25-19, 24-26, and 26-24.

What: Yucaipa Thunderbirds meet Montebello in the second round of CIF Playoffs.
When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Where: Yucaipa High School.

The Thunderbirds defeated the Ganesha Giants, 26-24, 25-19, 24-26, 26-24 in the CIF SS Div. IV boys volleyball playoffs, Friday, at Yucaipa High School.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - The Yucaipa boys' volleyball teams' jerseys bear the name Thunderbirds, of course, but after Friday night's opening round in the playoffs, it might be appropriate to add, "Comeback Kids."

Yucaipa dashed the hopes of victory of the visiting Ganesha Giants (5-5 Miramonte League, 12-6-1 overall) by staging a dramatic comeback in the first game of a four-game set to defeat the Giants, 26-24, 25-19, 24-26, 26-24, in first-round play of the CIF Southern Section Division IV Playoffs.

Yucaipa (15-3, 12-2 Citrus Belt League champion and #1 seed) fell behind from the get-go with Ganesha jumping out to 6-2, 16-9, and 23-18 leads. But in the final stage of the game the Thunderbirds staged a ferocious comeback fueled by senior outside hitters Garrett Barham (20 kills), Ellery Buck (13 kills), and Casey Garrison (9 kills), along with some game-saving defense.

Barham and Garrison teamed-up to block a Giant's kill attempt and pull the Thunderbirds within, 22-23, then Barham tied the game at 24-24 will a kill, and his block produced the game-winner to pull out an improbable victory.

"Garrett played well tonight, he was really on," said Yucaipa Head Coach, Gail Diliberto. Barham led the way with his 20 kills, 8 ace serves, and 17 digs.