Hemet volleyball falls in semifinal round


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POWERFUL HITTER: Hemet’s Marcus Patterson had nine kills last week when his team fell in the semifinal round of the CIF division 3 playoffs to Camarillo High School. photo by Andrew Self/ Special to The Valley Chronicle.
May 21, 2013
A nearly perfect season came to an end last week when the Hemet High School boys' volleyball team fell in the CIF division 3 semifinals in three sets to Camarillo High School.

While head coach Bob Jensen said he was proud his team never stopped fighting, they were unable to pick up a set against the dominant Camarillo and lost by scores of 25-21, 25-21, and 25-22.

The Bulldogs finished their season with an overall 34-2 record and a perfect 10-0 Mountain Pass League record, marking one of the best season's in the team's history.

In Wednesday's season-ending loss, the Bulldogs found themselves a bit outmatched by a scrappy and offensively powerful Camarillo.

For team leader and setter Jacob Hill, the loss was a disappointing one.

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FIND A SPOT: Tristan Yoder, a middle blocker for the Bulldogs, places a hit for a kill against Camarillo. Yoder had four kills on the match.
"I thought as a team we played pretty well," he said. "There were some moments where we got individualized or frustrated with each other, but for the most part we played together. The effort was there at some moments and then gone in others. I think that hurt us."

In the first set, Camarillo's captain and outside hitter Owen Yoshimoto showed off some impressive hitting skills, racking up 10 kills and proving automatic as an offensive weapon.

The second set was much the same, but in the third set Hemet gave Camarillo a serious threat. Early in the set, Hemet led by five points and held that lead until Camarillo tied the game at 22. Hemet was unable to sideout and did not score again in the game.

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TEAM CHEMISTRY: Hemet setter Jacob Hill said the Bulldog’s boys’ volleyball team was like a family this year and had great chemistry.
Leading the way for Hemet offensively was Dylan Vashaw who had 10 kills in the match, followed closely by Marcus Patterson who had nine kills. Jared Walsh and JP Scheuble each had six kills.

Defensively, libero Kristian Gillardo picked up 15 digs followed by Hill with 11 and Vashaw with seven. Hill also earned 35 assists in the match.

"Being able to be a leader and the setter for this team was a great experience," Hill said. "We had our rough patches this season, but it is easy to lead when you have a great bunch of guys who are passionate about the sport. Our cheer before the game is 'second family' and that is pretty spot on."

Hill, a junior, said this season was one to be proud of.

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BIG BLOCK: Tristan Yoder and Jared Walsh block down a ball against Camarillo’s offense last week.
"It's been great," he said. "Going 27-2 is a great feeling and making a solid run in CIF is just about as good as it gets for a Riverside County boys' high school volleyball team."

Looking into next season, Hill is feeling optimistic.

"I think next year will be just as good as this year," he said. "We have some key guys coming back and I am hoping we get some guys to step up and play."

In the CIF division 3 finals on Saturday, Camarillo fell in three sets to South Pasadena High School.

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