Vista takes Tracy in three games

Holding true to their seed, Vista del Lago's varsity girls' volleyball team defeated Tracy in the Division II playoffs in three straight games on Tuesday, 25-23, 25-22 and 25-17. The No. 6 seeded Eagles (13-7) advance to the second round on Thursday where they will travel to third-seeded Del Oro (25-10). Junior outside hitter Lily Smith led the Eagles offense with 16 kills. Good high sets helped King see where the defense was playing her as she approached the ball. "Going up with intention and being able to see where the defense was and was not was the key," Smith said. "The high sets made it easy to find ways around the block." Avery Moore also had a good night for the Eagles, as she contributed seven kills. Though two of the matches were close, the Eagles came through and played solidly to win those games. "I was a little bit nervous since it could have been our last match, and my last match, but once I stepped on the court I felt confident we could win," said Vista senior middle blocker Avery Pettus. "Knowing we had worked so hard to get here and played many teams to prepare us was the confidence we needed to win." Vista coach Cinnamon DaSilva was pleased with what she saw from her team. "For us the goal was to play consistent; not perfect, but consistent to maintain control of our game by being a constant force," DaSilva said. "Did we achieve that? Sometimes. We still didn't have the energy we had on senior night, but we made some great defensive plays." On Thursday, the Eagles will travel to Loomis to face the Golden Eagles. Del Oro will be a formidable opponent, but it's still a team Vista could beat if they play their game. "We will need to bring the energy and elevate our play," DaSilva said. "I'm excited to see the girls put their hearts into the game." In Division I playoff bracket, Oak Ridge (21-12), the No. 3 seed, defeated Laguna Creek in four games, 21-25, 25-18, 25-11, 25-9. They will face sixth-seeded Pleasant Grove (19-10) on Thursday, a team they beat early in the season in three sets. Folsom (30-9), the top seed, had a bye Tuesday and will face eighth-seeded Davis on Thursday. The Bulldogs have faced Davis four times this season and have won all four matches.