CIF State DV volleyball: Palma swept by Hilmar
HILMAR — Reaching the section volleyball finals was a first for the program. So was capturing its first state tournament match — as Palma found itself in uncharted waters. The next step, however, will have to wait until next year.
The only volleyball program still practicing in the county reached a plateau in its progression Thursday, as the Chieftains postseason ride came to a close, falling to No. 2 seed Hilmar 25-23, 25-13, 25-19 in the CIF State Northern California Division V playoffs.
The Yellowjackets, who fell in the State Division IV title match in five sets last fall to South Pasadena, have won 24 matches this fall in their quest to return to the state title game.
“It’s about getting experience,” Palma coach Ivan Garcia said. “Now that we have a taste of it, we can move forward. We had a lot of ups and downs this year. It wasn’t always pretty. We are such a young team.”
Having struggled through the Gabilan Division this past fall, Palma had a resurgence in the postseason, playing for a Central Coast Section Division V title, extending its season into the quarterfinals of the state tournament in just its second season.
“When we got to the playoffs, I set lets hit the reset button,” Garcia said. “It’s a new season. We played with a little more confidence. We started meshing at the right time.”
Jumping from the Mission Division to the Gabilan in just their second season, the Chieftains endured growing pains with a roster of just two seniors, neither of which start.
“We didn’t really have a leader,” Garcia said. “All the hard losses we took were learning moments, teaching moments. We changed our mindset going into the playoffs.”
Garcia put the blame on Palma’s early struggles on himself, promising to make changes to take advantage of what he calls a very athletic roster.
“There will be changes on my end,” Garcia said. “It starts with me. It’s my program. I didn’t coach as well as I could have. In looking back, I should have made moves sooner. We could have players in different positions next year.”
Having opened the state tournament by sweeping Oakland Section champion Oakland Tech last Tuesday, the Chieftains ran into a Yellowjacket squad that had four hitters with over 200 kills on the season.
Yet, Palma played fearlessly in the opening set, proving it belonged on the court with the reigning state runner-ups, matching them for points before falling 25-23.
“We kept the first set close,” Garcia said. “We got beat up in the second set and fought in the third set. A lot of it was just a lack of experience. Hilmar is a really good team. It didn’t make too many mistakes.”
Ashlyn Urmanita ignited the Palma offense with 17 assists, while Alena Salas finished with seven kills. Reese Amaral collected five kills and eight digs, with Brynn Baxter compiling 14 digs.
The postseason experience will be invaluable going forward for the No. 7 seeded Chieftains (14-14), who returns their entire starting lineup next fall.
“I’m excited to see what next year brings,” Garcia said.
