The Centennial girls volleyball team, under the guidance of Coach Joe Schnake, secured a victory against Crescenta Valley in their CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoff opener on Wednesday night. The Huskies won the match in straight sets, finishing with scores of 25-16, 25-21, and 25-21. They are set to face South Torrance in the second round on Saturday night.
Although Schnake acknowledged that the team did not perform at its best, he expressed relief at advancing in the tournament. “Definitely not the prettiest of wins but we advanced,” he said. “We have to clean things up for South Torrance.”
One standout player for Centennial was Cydnee Bryant, a 6-foot-4 junior middle blocker. Bryant delivered an impressive performance with 13 kills and just one error on 17 attempts, achieving a hitting percentage of .706. She also contributed four total blocks.
Centennial (24-7) started strong, launching a 7-0 run in the opening set. Bryant initiated the scoring with a kill and partnered with Charlotte McCully for a block, establishing a 9-2 lead. Although Crescenta Valley narrowed the gap to 16-14, the Huskies responded with a 6-0 run, capped off by Morgan Wilson’s second ace of the match, winning the set.
The setting duo of Wilson and Londyn Neal effectively distributed the ball, allowing Bryant and Asia Udo-Ema to each score four kills in the opening set. Three other players also contributed at least two kills.
“What we’ve been working on with our setters is trying to get our hitters isolated as much as we can,” Schnake said. “When we get those 1-on-1 opportunities, it’s pretty hard to stop our hitters.” Centennial hit .387 in the first set.
The second set saw some lead changes before Centennial took control with an 8-2 run. Bryant tallied five kills in this set, with two occurring during the pivotal stretch. Udo-Ema finished the set with a decisive crosscourt kill.
Despite the loss, Crescenta Valley (34-7-2) showed improvement, increasing its kill count from nine in the first set to 14 in the second. The Falcons also improved their hitting efficiency from .143 to .323.
Crescenta Valley began the third set with a 5-1 lead, applying pressure on the Huskies. The Falcons, who had no blocks in the first two sets, recorded four in the third set.
Bryant led the charge for Centennial, delivering back-to-back kills to give the Huskies an 11-10 lead. The set remained competitive, with three lead changes late in the game. A kill by Jordyn Wilson put Centennial ahead 23-20, followed by two hitting errors from Crescenta Valley that sealed the match.
Centennial has lost only two sets during its current winning streak, one against San Clemente on September 7 and another against Roosevelt on October 8. “Even when things aren’t going the best, like the third set tonight, they just press forward and find a way,” Schnake remarked.
In addition to Bryant, Udo-Ema finished with nine kills, while McCully and Jordyn Wilson contributed seven and six kills, respectively. McCully recorded four block assists, and libero McKenna Giles led the back-row defense with 15 digs.
Adelyn Lopez was the top performer for Crescenta Valley, scoring nine kills. Isabel Haytayan and Hayden Shirvanian added seven and six kills, respectively.
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