Pitman High School’s volleyball team expected a tough match against St. Mary’s on Thursday in the Division I Sac-Joaquin Section quarterfinals and that’s exactly what they got. The Central California Conference champions could not muster a win, falling 25-8, 25-10, 25-11 in their loss to the Rams.

“We all knew they had dominant players,” Pride head coach Kristen Pontes said. “They have every weapon you could have.”

The Pride entered the match as underdogs. Though they were confident in their abilities, they were unable to do what they wanted.  In addition to the high level of skill on the St. Mary’s team Pitman also struggled with a fast-paced offense and a very low gym ceiling.

Freshman Lyndsey Vander Weide stepped up and played a good game, coming in second in team kills. Seniors and captains Vicki Rouse and Ashley Solis also played well, trying to rally their team to a victory with blocks, digs and kills.

“St. Mary’s is just really tough,” Pontes said.

Although Pitman couldn’t find a win on Thursday they still had a great season becoming the first Pride varsity volleyball team to win league and the CCC triple crown.
“We had a great season,” Pontes said. “JV and freshman got first place in league, so we will have some good players next season.”