Lions wounded by Pride

Hopes of clinching the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League championship Tuesday night on its home court were dashed by Bradshaw Christian, as the Faith Christian High volleyball team lost in straight sets, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.

"Now we have to go out and win our last four and we'll be co-champs," Lions coach Rene Martin said. "We'll still get to hang a banner."

The Yuba City school was hoping to win the title outright, but defending SMAL champion Bradshaw had other ideas, handing the Lions (15-1, 9-1) their first loss of the season.

The two shared the title two seasons ago, and Bradshaw (10-1 SMAL) was the outright champion last year.

Going into the match, the Lions were confident they could win, having beaten the Pride on their home court earlier this season, 3-1. The Sacramento-area team was ready, however.

"After that last match, I told our girls, 'Play defense like Faith, play defense like Faith,'" Bradshaw coach Ric Reyes said.

Reyes told Martin after Tuesday's match he was very impressed with the way the Lions picked up ball after ball slammed by the Pride.

"You were diving for the ball and somehow fisting back to the setter," Reyes said.

"We just really clicked," Martin said of Faith's play in the first match with Bradshaw, adding that while the Lions played well in the rematch, it just wasn't enough.

Faith fell behind in the first game by as many as seven points, 16-9, before senior outside hitter Kellye Hallmark stepped up. Hallmark came up

with three kills to help close the gap to 17-14 before the Pride opened a five-point advantage, 19-14. Tips by Lindsay Barnett and Cami Bicknell, ace serves by Hallmark and Danielle Best, and a kill by Hallmark inched Faith to within one, 20-19. Bradshaw, however, reeled off the next five points to claim the set.

The Lions roared back in the second set, jumping out to leads of 13-7, 19-14 and 20-16 before they unraveled. Two hits out of play, a serve into the net and a bad set by Faith allowed the Pride to tie the set, 21-21.

Faith managed to stay with Bradshaw at 23-23 before the Pride scored the last two points.

Faith hung tough in the third game for a while, before the Pride gradually opened up a lead after the score was knotted, 10-10. At one point, Bradshaw enjoyed a five-point bulge, 17-12, before the Lions battled back.

Bicknell slammed a kill and Barnett had a kill and back-to-back dinks the half the score, 19-19. Faith managed to stay with Bradshaw until it was 23-23, but an ace and a kill gave the Pride the match.

"We battled hard," Martin said, admitting the Lions took the loss hard. "We knew they would be gunning for us."

Morgan Trimble finished with eight kills to lead Faith and Hallmark had seven. Hallmark also had 10 service points and two aces. Barnett had seven kills and two blocks. Libero Sarah Hall had five kills.

Setters Best and Laura Thorpe had eight and seven assists, respectively, and Thorpe added six points and four aces. Thorpe and Bicknell both served at 100 percent.

Patty Orozco led Bradshaw with 14 kills.

While Faith only needs to win out to finish as co-champs, Martin admitted, "We're not taking anything for granted."

The Lions travel to Country Day on Friday, a team they needed four games to beat earlier, and in the rematch Faith will be missing one of its setters.

Faith (12-2, 6-0) won the JV match, 25-17, 25-16. Justine Ekdawy had 11 aces and 5 kills.