Just a year ago in their first year in the Central California Athletic Association, the Turlock Christian High varsity volleyball team went 7-5 and won their third consecutive CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Championship.
In her first year as head coach, Pam Franco has improved on the already stellar program leading the TC Eagles to an 11-1 league record and a CCAA Championship after Thursday's 3-0 [25-20, 25-18 and 25-20] win over Big Valley Christian.
“It was an amazing game. The team was prepared and still in high spirits from our game with Stone Ridge,” said Franco. “I got a text from the league commissioner that whoever won was league champs so we were in a dead tie with Big Valley.”
Heading into the game both squads had 10 wins apiece and only one loss, so TC knew they had to continue to play the way they had recently if they wanted to be victorious.
The Eagles just continued their successful ways as they have all season long losing only six of 39 sets in 12 league contests.
“The girls had a great game; they played as a team. They picked each other up, covering when someone else needed it,” said Franco. “We got almost everything. Our goal again was to play for each point and not get ahead of ourselves. The girls did just that. They executed well and got the championship as their reward.”
Nicky Sanders finished with a game-high 10 kills and Meghan Mark finished with a team-high in digs at 21.
Mark also passed 100 percent on serve receive and 91 percent on digs along with the help of Mikayla Yagi and Tatiana Fabila.
Yagi finished with three serving aces, three digs, six kills and a block and Fabila tacked on a team-high 14 assists.
As a team, TC finished with 81 digs for the game, earning the team's seventh consecutive victory.
“Just a great way to end the regular season. Nicky [Sanders] and Meghan [Mark] had amazing games,” said Franco. “Now we are on to playoffs.”
Because TC won the Division VI Section title the previous three years, this marks the season where they will be bumped up a division and compete in the Division V bracket next week against an opponent yet to be named at a time not yet determined.
