Errors prove costly in Paloma Valley's loss to Hemet

Connor Castaing dives to make a return in Paloma Valley's game Tuesday. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

The Paloma Valley High boys volleyball team fell to Hemet in five sets Tuesday night. After defeating the Bulldogs last week, they were looking for their second league win and to improve their 7-7 overall record.

The first set ended in the Wildcats' favor with a final score of 25-17. The set started with a 6-0 run for Paloma and they held on to that lead by at least five for the remainder of that game.

The second set took a turn Hemet's way with a 7-3 run early on. The Wildcats caught up and brought the score within one point, trailing 11-10, but that was the closest they got in the set. Hemet took the win for that game 25-21.

Paloma took the next set with an identical score to the first set at 25-17, but let go of the next two sets with a handful of errors, allowing Hemet to outscore them 25-22, then 15-12.

In total, the Wildcats let 46 points go on errors, and head coach Natalie Beauchamp said this is a pattern she has noticed in her team.

"This is how the season has gone for us," said Beauchamp. "The skill is there for us, and when we win we are doing really well. But we give up way too many points. Credit to Hemet, they did great things, but we gave up almost two games' worth of points."

Beauchamp noted that something similar happened against Elsinore earlier on in the season and that, as a coach, she is hoping that the team will learn to keep their intensity more consistent in order to get out of this pattern.

"It's on them now. Either they will learn and adjust and stop making these mistakes or we're going to lose," Beauchamp said. "We have to be smarter with the balls that we're getting."

She added that Connor Castaing was a standout player for the team on the night with 16 kills, as well as Tristen Miller with 26, and Grady Kent III and Reagan Thayer with seven apiece.

Going forward, the Wildcats will face Elsinore at home Thursday night in their third-to-last league game of the season.

Walker Muzychenko sets the ball for a teammate in Tuesday's action. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)

 Tristen Miller prepares to make the kill against Hemet on Tuesday. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)