Cypress – The third-seed Cypress Chargers women's volleyball team battled undefeated second-seed Grossmont to five games, but eventually fell in the regional final 3-2 (25-16, 18-25, 25-23, 14-25, 12-15) on Tuesday evening.
Playing on the road, the Chargers took control in set one, easily defeating the Griffins 25-16. Grossmont answered in set two and won 25-18. In the third set, both teams were battling, but Cypress came out on top in the closet set of the night, winning 25-23.
The fourth set was all Grossmont as they won 25-14, which sent the match to a fifth and deciding set. Cypress led 8-7 as the two teams switched sides and Grossmont was able to take advantage, winning 15-12 to advance to the state championship.
As she has done the majority of the season, Lindsey Ray led the team in kills with 12, while Makayla Tayor added 10. Taylor had a team-high 18 digs, while Ave Mikaele tallied 10. The Chargers were solid at the net, totaling nine solo blocks and 14 block assists. Jasmine Covington had a team-high nine blocks, while Nae Bender had six.
The Chargers ended the season 21-5 overall, their best record since the 2010 season when the team went 25-6. Cypress tied for second in conference with a record of 10-4. Four players earned all-conference honors – Ray (1st-team), Taylor (1st-team), Bender (1st-team) and Mikaele (2nd-team). Ray also was named All-South Region.