Trojans get by Troubadours in four

There are no easy volleyball opponents in the Sierra Foothill League. When a team wins a match, they celebrate for a night, and then it's right back preparing, and perhaps worrying about, the next opponent. Oak Ridge High battled a very tough St. Francis team Wednesday night, winning in four sets, 25-18, 25-27, 25-22, 26-24. Perhaps the first game was an easier win, but the last three games were all close and two of them went into "overtime," if you will. That's what a coach comes to expect from league matches in the SFL. "Every game in this league is going to be a tough one," Oak Ridge head coach James Todd said, who formerly coached at Christian Brothers. "I respect every team in this league. Everyone is really good. There are no easy matches in this league." St. Francis (15-4) played a strong defensive match, as both their block and their play on the back line was very good, making the Trojans work for every point. Though the Trojans won it four, it could have easily gone to a fifth set if a point or two were different. "They did a good job defending us," Todd said. "I thought for the most part we stayed aggressive and stuck with our game plan. We blocked very well tonight. That was our saving grace right there, our net play." Leading the way in blocking was Kaya Charles with three. Savannah Ard and Anishka Nadella both had two, while Ella Hieb and Kelsey Frank each had one block. The Trojans served pretty well with only 10 serving errors in four games. Offensively, Madelyn Snyder led the way with 19 kills, six coming in the deciding game. Frank was in on 13 with five coming in the last game. Nadella made nine and Charles added eight to Oak Ridge's attack. Oak Ridge, now 5-1 in league and 17-4 overall, heads on the road to Folsom on Monday to face another top opponent. The Bulldogs enter the match with a 5-1 record in league and a 16-8 record overall. "The Folsom match is another big one," Todd said. "They're coming off a big tournament in Las Vegas and are playing good volleyball. They will be ready. Serving and passing will be the key for us. If we can do those two things, we'll be able to compete."