Timberwolves top San Ramon Valley to advance

Sometimes the first game can make the difference in a volleyball match. Woodcreek, the top-seed in the Division I Northern California volleyball playoffs, pulled out an exciting win in the first set over San Ramon Valley, 31-29, that pushed the Timberwolves (30-6) to a three-game sweep of the ninth-seed Wolves on Thursday night, 31-29, 25-13, 25-20. The first game was a thriller, as both teams had multiple chances to win the game that went six extra points. Woodcreek pulled through, though. With the match tied at 29, Alexandra Williams came up with a point on a big block and then Mya Taylor won the match with a kill, her fifth of the match, equaling Lilliana Saldivar's total. One of the keys to the match was Woodcreek's depth and the play of setters Madison Walsh and Jayden Morales, who got plenty of players involved in the offense. Katelyn Hull added four kills in the match; Kennedy Hull made three and Williams had two. "That's the plan," Woodcreek coach Brian Jew said. "We want our setters to use everyone out there. "We had a bit of a slow start. It's a new era for us, as this is the first time we've been to Nor-Cals in about six years. We haven't played at this level in awhile. We started off on our heels a little bit, but the girls figured it out. We had a couple of talks in there." After the first set, the Timberwolves relaxed and played their game, easily winning the last two games. The third game was closer than it should have been, as the Timberwolves had trouble closing it out before finally getting the job done. Saldivar led the way with 14 kills. "I think our chemistry was the difference," Saldivar said. "We all want the same thing and we're working for it and it showed in our performance tonight. "Our diversity is what makes this team special. We have a lot of freshman and sophomores; we have a wide variety in age. A lot of the younger players make big contributions to our team. I think our diversity helps make this a special group." Katelyn Hull added 11 kills, while Taylor had eight, and Kennedy Hull and Williams each chipped in six. Next up for the Timberwolves is a home match Saturday night against No. 4 seed Clovis (36-5). In other action, West Park, the No. 3 seed in the Division II playoffs, defeated Aragon in three straight games, 25-8, 25-23, 25-14. Next up for the Panthers is a road game in Sacramento Saturday against No. 2 seed St. Francis.