Vaqueros fall to RB in CIF volley semis

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: November 8, 2024

PHOTOS ADDED –
2024 EAST COUNTY
PREP GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
CIF-San Diego Section
Championships-Semifinals

ECS staff report

LAKESIDE – No. 8 seeded Rancho Bernardo, which has already posted an upset in the quarterfinals, made it two straight road victories after downing El Capitan at the CIF San Diego Section Division I Championships, Tuesday (Nov, 5) at Foster Gymnasium.

The Broncos, despite falling in the opening set, rallied to win in four sets, an, 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-21).

Rancho Bernardo (19-18), which stunned top-seeded Sage Ceek in the quarterfinals, will play for the title on Friday at second-seeded Eastlake.

El Capitan, the 7-time reigning Grossmont Hills League titlist with a composite records if 64-0, finishes with a 19-12 overall mark. The Vaqueros were the CIFSDS Open Division titlists in 2022, including triumphs over Rancho Bernardoo in the semis, then Poway in the finale.

Savannah Simpson

The Broncos held a slight spiking edge to slide past El Cap thanks to outside hitter Abigail Lesagonicz, a 6-ffot-3 junior who registered a matc-best 22 kills. The total was her second-best of the season, trailing just the 27 kills registered in a 5-set match with La Costa Canyon.

El Capitan kept a constant threat at the net between senior Savannah Simpson (14 kills) and sophomore Sofia Simone (12). But onlyone threat at the net at a time, Broncos blocking was also a difference with 10 additional stuffs.

Despite Lesagonicz, the Vaqueros stayed close thanks to a trio of backcourt players posting double figures in digs. The combo was led by sophomore Mackenna Palmer with 19 digs, followed by Simpson (15) and Palmer (12).

Palmer also led El Cap with four aces, while setter Lundin Palmer finished with 17 assists.