Stone Ridge Christian, Hilmar volleyball seek elusive blue banner
The Stone Ridge Christian and Hilmar volleyball programs can empathize with one another.
Both have had few peers the last four years, consistently turning in excellent regular seasons and long playoff runs. For all that success, however, both have glaring holes in their résumés.
The Knights and Yellowjackets have reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI and IV title games, respectively, the last three seasons and have each had to settle for second every time. Like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown, the elusive blue banner has been tantalizingly dangled in front of both programs just to go home with another team.
Perhaps a change of venue will elicit some better mojo. Stone Ridge Christian and Hilmar will try to make the fourth time the charm as the 2016 section title games shift from UC Davis to Tokay High in Lodi on Saturday. No. 2 Stone Ridge will try to topple No. 1 Woodland Christian in the D-VI championship game at noon. The No. 2 Yellowjackets face No. 1 Ripon as the Trans-Valley League foes clash in the D-IV title game at 2:30 p.m.
“This is what we play for,” Knights coach Ken Shaw said after Tuesday’s semifinal victory over Forest Lake Christian. “Making the NorCal playoffs and playing for section titles has become the expectation. We’ve been close. We’ve played some very good teams that just played better on that particular day.
“This game is particularly important to our seniors. They’ve accomplished pretty much everything else you can. Winning the section title is the last thing on their list.”
Hilmar (23-12) will be pleased to see someone in the final other than Sonora. The Yellowjackets ran into the buzz saw that’s been the Wildcat volleyball program the last three years. With Sonora bumped up to Division III due to winning three consecutive titles, Hilmar will take its chances with a Ripon team that swept it twice during the regular season.
Stone Ridge Christian (17-0) also has a familiar opponent in its final.
After falling to Turlock Christian in back-to-back seasons, the Knights squared off with Woodland Christian (24-5) in last year’s final. The Cardinals won 3-0 and, like SRC, return all of their top weapons.
“This game means everything to us,” Stone Ridge Christian senior Ellie Ann Vander Dussen said. “It feels like the last four years have been building toward it. The seniors know it’s our last chance. We’ve been so close. We have to finish it this time.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Stone Ridge Christian, Hilmar volleyball seek elusive blue banner."