Last week, Women's Volleyball played two conference matches at home. In Friday's 4-set match with the Sierra College Wolverines, the American River College Beavers displayed a sense of confidence, playfulness, and teamwork on the court. Starting most sets in a point deficit, the Beavs held together and kept working, one point at a time.

In set one, the Beavs started down 1-4. A pivotal serving run from outside hitter Madeline Seabury put them ahead 9-4. Wolverines catch up 11-10, before outside Woltz went on a 4-point serving run. We saw restless coverage from Maddy Rossman in the libero jersey, Cyana Mulitalo soaring and scoring kills in the outside, and we saw tip kills from both middle blockers, Vite and Keuhl. Some push and pull with about a 2:1 ratio, put the Beavs at 19-14. After some miscommunication and simple errors, ARC took a moment to connect in the middle of the court, holding a beat longer than usual to collect focus, establish physical contact, and find eyes. A missed serve by the Wolverines led ARC into the endgame of set one, which Mallory Kuehl finished out with a 3-point serving run, finishing 25-17. 

Similar to the first, set two began slowly for the Beavers, Wolverines leading by 4, the score 2-6. Keuhl aided in turning the tide by going on an 11-point serving run, seemingly unbothered by the Wolverines' attempts to ice her out with not one, but two timeouts (one at 9-7 and the other at 14-7). The collective worked hard to protect their teammate's serve, striving to be as of service to her as she had (literally) been to them. The majority of the mid-game was played in the medium, with good plays made by both teams. Sierra faced a 10-point deficit at 23-13, pushed 4 points, building their momentum, and finished the set with 17 total points once again. The Beavs shared so many smiles, laughs, and joyful moments throughout this set, riding energetic waves with style.

The beginning of the third set felt like a dance; flourishing back and forth, the audience unsure who to declare the lead and who the follow. Sierra's service pressure kept the Beavers out of system, creating space for their pin hitters, particularly outside #3, Noami Morgan to score big. Soon, the score showed 5-11, and the Beavs called their first timeout of the evening. Some hand-holds, hip-bumps, and head-nods later, both teams reentered the court with a sense of determination. We saw a couple of big swings from lefty opposite hitter, Niyah Brown, which really fired the Beavers up. ARC showed their togetherness as they closed the gap in the score with the help of Ducky Rossman's 3-point serving run, hitting 13-14 before a timeout by Sierra. Rossman served another 3 points, followed by Sierra's second timeout. The rhythm of the game still like a dance. Finally, the ice-out worked for the Wolverines, and ARC missed their serve deep. The tango continued as offense and defense on both sides of the net got to work. Side out after side out, Sierra served at 17-17. ARC served at 18-18. At 18-21, the Beavers called their second timeout. The sweat continued until the Wolverines take the set 22-25. 

The fourth set had a fiery beginning. An aggressive Vite-assist/Gwen Hansen dump, a Josie Povey step in, another Vite/Hansen dump, and a ball-pursuit out of the bleachers all within the first 4 points. Some hard swings, shots, and tips later, the Wolverines and Beavers tied the score up at 9-9, and again at 11-11. Rossman served the team to 17-11. The dance and play continue as the teams enter the final moments of the match. Bodies hit the floor, setter hands finished high, and attackers made smart placements. The final score was 25-21.

Overall, the Beavers took the match 3-1, their third consecutive win. We're all excited to see what they'll do next and how they choose to be. As they continue to build their chemistry and collective confidence, we watch in admiration. Go Beavs!