Calvary Downey’s Hannah Galvan (13) and Ameli Guerra (2) leap to block a shot as they play El Monte in their non-league girls varsity volleyball game at El Monte High School on Tuesday. El Monte defeated Calvary Downey 3-0. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)

EL MONTE – An early-season non-league match for the Calvary Chapel Girls Volleyball team ended up in a three set sweep for the host El Monte High School Lions Tuesday (August 25).

The Grizzlies, which fell to 2-3 overall, lost by scores of 25-17, 25-20 26-24.

Leading the way for Calvary was senior outside hitter Ameli Guerra with seven kills, followed by senior setter Hannah Luna with five assists and junior outside Hannah Galvan with three aces.

El Monte was led by senior middle Noemi Ibanez with seven kills, five aces and two blocks, while senior setter April Duenas added five kills, 11 assists eight digs and six aces.

“It’s always hard to play from behind,” Calvary coach Elyssa Quintana said. “The hardest part is trying to remind them. That’s the nice thing about volleyball, you can always come back. I think we were down 18-9 at one point in the second set. I was saying, ‘hey, we can come back.’ We went on a good run and just lost 25-20.

“In the third set we made some adjustments in our rotation, but the girls really locked in and were ready to play and really wanted to win. Losing 26-24 isn’t bad.”

Quintana said of this years’ team saying “It is a little bit of a rebuilding year. We graduated seven seniors last year. From last year to this year, I think I have only five players that played together. To pull seven girls up from JV, they are learning to play with each other.”

Luna talked of her part as a senior setter.

“It’s definitely big shoes to fill,” said Luna, referring to last years’ assist leader. “Julie Parra was a really good setter last year. I definitely got to watch her and learned a lot from her.

“You can definitely feel the responsibility. I think the rest of the tem can read your face and feel your energy.”

Calvary will continue with nonleague action Friday (August 28) at Savanna.

Before Express League matches begin in mid-September, the Grizzlies will play in the “Dive into the Season” Tournament hosted by California Lutheran High School.

“That tournament is cool,” Guerra said. “We learn about each other and we grow as a team. We spend the whole day together with a few games.”

Calvary starts with a match against Santa Rosa Academy Saturday, Aug. 29, followed by San Jacinto Valley Academy and host Cal Lutheran.

Lions start fast

El Monte started fast in the opening set as they took an 8-2 lead before the Grizzlies mounted a run of their own to even the match, 10-10.

They outscored the Lions, 8-2, which was highlighted by numerous net errors by El Monte and a kill by Luna to trail, 9-7, and back-to-back kills by Guerra to trail by a point, 10-9.

Another net error by the Lions evened the match at 10 each. A second consecutive net error by El Monte gave the Grizzlies their only lead of the set, 11-10.

After the Lions built up a 15-12 lead, junior middle blocker Liela Kakuta had a big kill following a long rally, followed by a service ace by Luna to trail by a point, 15-14.

El Monte finished the set on a 10-3 run to take a 1-0 set lead.

Calvary freshman opposite Sophia Sactic and Guerra added kills just before the end of the set for the Grizzlies.

In the second set, El Monte again took an 8-3 lead. Trailing 11-5, the Lions hit a ball out and senior outside Keimya Gascon-Williams had an ace to bring them within four points, 11-7.

Another run (7-2) by the Lions built the lead back up to 18-9 before Calvary could muster up a 4-0 run to trail, 18-13. The run was led by kills by Kakuta and Gascon-Williams, an ace by sophomore libero Mia Flores and a ball hit out by El Monte.

A service error by El Monte and a third kill by Kakuta in the set brought the Grizzlies to within four, 19-15.

With the Lions leading 21-15, four consecutive points by Calvary to trail 21-19, brought them to the closest they had been in the set.

Galvan highlighted the run with another ace.

El Monte finished the set with a 4-1 run to lead in the match two sets to one.

Guerra provided the lone Grizzlies point with a kill.

Third set a battle

The third set was a different story as the Grizzlies battled point-for-point throughout the set.

“It’s really hard, especially as a team to get everyone on the same line, but by the grace of God we were able to get back and it’s all about talking with us,” Guerra added. “Thankfully, we were able to get it together and push to the third set.

“With our communication in that set we were talking a lot.”

Guerra talked of the senior leadership on the team saying, “Having to help other girls is definitely a blessing. It’s hard sometimes, but it’s fun to have new faces and bring the wisdom from the past years to this team.”

After another early lead by El Monte (8-3), four consecutive points by the Grizzlies, highlighted by a Calvary kill and an ace by Gascon-Williams, it put them back in the set and they had seven ties with the Lions and never trailed by more than three points the rest of the way.

A 4-0 run by Calvary, which included the third tie of the set and the first lead by the Grizzlies to lead, 12-11.

That was highlighted by another kill by Guerra and three consecutive aces by Galvan.

Two more ties by the teams and back-and-forth action set the pace with Calvary taking their biggest lead of the match, 20-16.

Kakuta and Guerra added kills to aie in the 4-point lead.

After El Monte added a couple of points to trail, 20-18, a service error by the Lions and a kill by Galvan brought the lead back to four points, 22-18.

A couple of El Monte aces and a kill put them a point down, 22-21.

A kill by Guerra put the Grizzlies up, 23-21. However, a crucial service error by Calvary and a Calvary attack error tied the set (23-23) for the sixth time.

Perhaps the biggest kill of the set by Kakuta gave the Grizzlies set point, 24-23.

Three consecutive El Monte points ended the set and the match as the Lions finally got their first win of the young season to improve to 1-4.

Also on the Calvary Chapel roster are senior defensive specialist America Pedroza, junior middle Andrea Ortega and junior opposite Mia Boutte.

Calvary Chapel girls volleyball falls to El Monte