Yuba College volleyball stays perfect in BVC

Yuba College's volleyball team has been so dominant over the course of this season, it's starting to sound like a broken record.

Entering Wednesday night's contest against visiting Solano, the 49ers had won their last 10 matches and had dropped a grand total of just four sets over that span while taking command of the Bay Valley Conference.

Teamwork, cohesiveness and, above all else, talent have been the keys to Yuba's success so far, and each trait was on display on Wednesday when the 49ers rallied back from an early deficit to top the Falcons in four sets.

With the victory, the 49ers improved their record to an impressive 18-1 overall while moving to a perfect 11-0 in the BVC. The win also gave Yuba a two-game lead over Solano and Napa in the race for the conference title with just five left to play.

Not even a slow start could stop Yuba in this one as Solano took the first set 25-18 only to see Yuba roar back to win the next three games 25-19, 25-20, 25-18 to earn the victory.

"Like I told the girls, 'It's great to have all these weapons, but we have to load the gun,'" 49ers coach Greg Chapman said. "And once we loaded the gun, they couldn't stop us."

Though the Niners started out a little sluggish in the opener, they quickly came to life in the second game by taking control of the net and making all the hustle plays necessary to finish the job.

Setter Sam Foster was great all night long, spreading the ball around to her teammates to finish with 39 assists to go with four digs. Also helping the cause for Yuba in the back was libero Shaila Gidel, who hit the deck hard on several occasions while posting with a team-high 17 digs.

"I hit the floor almost every game, and I've got the bruises to prove it," Gidel joked after the match.

Yuba's play at the net was just as impressive as Brenna McDonald played a solid all-around game to finish with 13 kills and eight digs, while Katie Olson added 11 kills and nine digs of her own.

Emily Toledo also came up big with nine kills and six blocks, Katie Reiland added seven kills and seven blocks and Angela DeHaan chipped in with four kills, five digs and a pair of blocks in the victory.

Gidel attributes the team's success to the players knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Many members of the team have been playing together for years now, and that familiarity on and off the court has helped turn them into a well-oiled machine.

"Our chemistry is spot on this year. I grew up with these girls and we all play for each other and that helps us win," Gidel said. "I love my team and my coach is amazing. He deserves all the credit in the world."

The 49ers will hit the road for two games next week before returning home to face Laney on Nov. 7. They will then host Napa on Nov. 9 in a match that could very well decide the BVC crown.

"It was a big game tonight and we wanted to be balanced, focused and relentless," Chapman said. "We're kind of in the driver's seat now."