“We never gave up mentally,” junior setter Ashlyn White said. “We passed a lot better and our serving was better. We also played tougher and mentally stronger than we have been.”

Senior West Sequoia League MVP Jessa Searles smacked 23 kills and had 7 digs and White produced a game-high 35-assists to go along with 6 kills. Continuing her consistent play of late, junior Emily Schoettler came up with 12 kills to go along with 12 digs, while fellow classmate Cassidy Hutchins made 20 digs and 5 assists.

However the road to the Championship game was not easy for the Eagles. The Crusaders and Eagles match was a nail biter from beginning to end according to head coach David Tatum.

“I played high school and college volleyball,” Tatum said. “but I think that its safe to say that this was the most fun, most intense, and most nerve racking game I have ever been a part of. It takes an intense amount of fight for a team to battle back and win three straight games like we did. I have never been more proud of my girls than I was tonight.”

Spurred on by the excitement of the playoffs, Kings Christian came out hot in the opening game. Though the Eagles were one point away from a win with a 24-21 lead, the Crusaders won the next five points in a row to take a 1-0 lead.

A demoralized FC team went on to drop the ensuing game by a score of 25-19.

“All I could think about during this game was the fact that we had worked too hard and come too far to lose here against this team,” Tatum said. “I was at a loss for words. I wanted to know where my team was. We have struggled with coming out sharp all year.”

In the middle of the third game, with the score tied, FC used a crucial timeout by Tatum to restore their composure. According to Tatum, he told his team that they wanted it more than the Crusaders and to dig deep.

“The third game we had a totally different mental outlook on the match,” Schoettler said. “We realized how much we wanted to win. So on everything down to the lost minute detail we tried so much harder. We were a totally a different team from then on.”

The Eagles came out of the timeout fired up and rode the wave of momentum all the way to a 25-16 win that saved their season. The charge was led by spirited play from White, who got her teammates charged up.

“I looked at Ashlyn and told the rest of the team to look at her,” Tatum said. “It was evident that she was ready to fight and that she was going to leave it all on the court. I said, ‘Ash is ready to fight for this win are you?’ The rest of the game they played like a whole other team. They communicated and let the other team make mistakes while they put the ball away offensively.”

Following their opening win of the match, the Eagles survived a tight game four, grinding out a 25-23 victory. White got her team started by serving the first four points, while Hutchins had a serve run from points 21-24 which secured the win for the Eagles and forced a tie-breaking fifth game.

“We worked really well as a team,” Hutchins said. “People picked up in the areas we were slacking in, and all around we played very well.”

In an anti-climactical romp, the Eagle shut down Kings Christian in game five, earning a 15-8 victory and a spot in the finals. Once again, White stepped up, serving the opening six points, and FC rolled to a comfortable margin of victory.

A raucous home crowd helped carry the Eagles according to Tatum.

“I think the crowd was a crucial thing tonight,” Tatum said. “I would love to invite anyone and everyone to travel down with us on Thursday to see us play against Mission Prep. I would love for the Mission people to say ‘wow these FC people travel with a big clan.'”

FC will next play at Mission Prep in the CIF Central Section Division V Valley Championship, Nov. 12.

“Even though it was a slow start, we came back playing smart,” Searles said. “I didn’t want it to be our last game of my senior year. I wanted to keep going.”

FC DEMORALIZES PARLIER–Nov. 5
After clinching the West Sequoia League Championship, Nov. 3, FC used their, Nov. 5, match-up with Parlier as a victory lap, winning 3-0 (25-8, 31-29, 25-8).

“We were not playing as hard as we should have,” senior Sam Kaiser said. “We were letting them come back and score as well as making simple mistake. Besides that, the team fought hard for the win and never gave up.”

Junior Ashlyn White recorded 25 assists, teaming with juniors Emily Schoettler (12 kills) and Cassidy Hutchins (9 digs) and senior Jessa Searles (9 kills) to help the Eagles improve to 24-9-1 overall. Though they gained an comfortable win in the opening game, game two proved to be FC’s toughest win of the season.

“After the game got started and we got ahead, we let up because we didn’t feel we needed to work as hard as the first 10 points,” freshman Chantelle Brown said. “We let down and caught back up. The game became one of the hardest battles we faced this year.”

With the 31-29 triumph, FC gave up the most points in a single game than they have all season. But the loss seemed to deflate the Panthers on senior night.

“The second game against Parlier wasn’t necessarily a tough game to begin with; it just got harder as it went on,” Searles said. “We mistakenly let up on a team on their senior night and they got their hopes up.”

After game two, the Eagles took over the match and won the third game, 25-8.

Having completed his first full season as the Eagles’ head coach, David Tatum holds hopes for his team to go deep into the CIF Division V Valley playoffs.

“Tonight was a great finish to the regular season for us,” Tatum said. “We were able to put an exclamation point on the point that we are league champs. The team played well and we are looking ahead to the playoffs.”

Senior Heather Lichti helped close out the Panthers with a cross-court diving save that helped the Eagles win the final point of game three. Tatum called the play a “superwomen dive.”

“Our team had just come from behind in a really close second game,” Lichti said. “In the last point, the ball was coming over, but everyone else was on the left side of the court and the ball was coming to the right. There was no way I was playing another point, so I sprinted and dove for the ball and we were able to end it.”

With small number of teams in the CIF Division V playoffs this year, White believes the Eagles have a chance to go far.

“The thing I’m most excited about for playoffs is that there is only 3 other teams signed up,” White said. “When Kings Christian comes to play us on Tuesday, and if we beat them, we automatically get a chance at state.”

The Eagles will next host Kings Christian in the first round of the CIF Division V playoffs, Nov. 10, 7 p.m.

A win over the Crusaders could mean a potential school beach trip, as the Eagles would next play at Mission Prep, Oct. 12.

EAGLES CLINCH WSL CROWN–Nov. 3
Despite owning a previous victory over Fowler, the Eagles found themselves in an early hole. However, following the flow of their season to this point, FC played stronger in the late stages of the match, out-dueling the Redcats 3-0 (28-26, 25-19, 25-16) to win the West Sequoia League title, Nov. 3.

“The girls got off to a slow start but finished strong,” head coach David Tatum said. “Now, we are really looking forward to playoffs!”

Junior Cassidy Hutchins played well defensively, making 17 digs, while senior Jessa Searles came up with 14 kills and junior Emily Schoettler had 12 kills, helping the Eagles successfully defend their league championship. Junior setter Ashlyn White once again led both teams with 25 assists.

“We are still trying to learn how to start out playing our game from the beginning instead of playing the first one or two games as a warmup,” Hutchins said. “We could have played better and have in the past. But we ended up with a win and a league championship.”

BLUE RAIDERS SPOIL SENIOR NIGHT
Though underestimated by some, the Caruthers Blue Raiders believed in themselves. In the match-up of the West Sequoia League top contenders, Caruthers stunned the Eagles 3-2 (25-22, 12-25, 28-26, 12-25, 15-13), ending their 5-game league winning streak, Oct. 29.

“That was probably the most intense volleyball game I’ve ever played in,” senior Jenn Boudreau said. “Caruthers has improved since we last played them, and I think we may have underestimated them. Though it’s too bad we lost, I think it will help us to not get too cocky and force us to work harder in the upcoming games.”

FC failed to get the job done despite a season-high 35 kills by senior Jessa Searles and 21 kills by junior Emily Schoettler. Juniors Ashyln White and Cassidy Hutchins also produced season-highs with 56 assists and 45 digs respectively.

Caruthers beat the FC seniors in the final home game of their careers, a difficult blow for the team according to head coach David Tatum.

“Tonight was a tough loss,” Tatum said. “It’s always hard to lose on your home court especially when its senior night. The girls battled hard but it was evident that Caruthers was ready to play.”

While they may have lost their undefeated league record, the Eagles have their sights set on a more important goal Tatum says.

“Tonight we lost our record, but we are fired up and ready to win,” Tatum said. “The next two games to finish league strong and take the league title.”

EAGLES RAISE LEVEL OF PLAY VS. TIGERS–Oct. 27
Following a slow start, the Eagles turned the heat on Tranquillity to win the non-league tussle 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-3), Oct. 27.

Despite the slow start, FC picked up their play, and achieved a new season record by allowing only three Tiger points to be scored in final game. Taking advantage of Tranquillity only having one sub, the Eagles out-hustled their tired opponents.

“We got off to a really slow start tonight,” head coach David Tatum said. “The girls heads were not in the game. We slowly progressed through the evening to where we needed to be, and played the last game with lightning speed.”

Leading FC with a game-high 17 kills to go along with 3 aces was junior outside hitter Emily Schoettler. Also coming up big for FC was junior Ashlyn White (30 assists), junior Cassidy Hutchins (17 digs, 3 aces) and senior Jessa Searles (9 kills, 5 aces).

“The third game we played a lot better than the previous two,” senior Jenn Boudreau said. “We pulled our act together as a team and played our game.”

Senior Sam Kaiser played a key role in game three, according to Tatum, serving 11 winning points in a row, and Searles picked up where her teammate left off serving 13 in a row. Kaiser finished with 9 digs and led all players with 6 aces.

“I challenged the girls in the last game to see how long we could stay in our rotations,” Tatum said. “I told the servers to see how many points they could serve in a row, and also told the team to protect the fact that we were serving. I was impressed with our strong finish.”

FC SWITCHES UP LINEUP VS. RIVERDALE–Oct. 22
For the second time this season, the Eagles ran away from Riverdale for a 3-1 (25-9, 25-11, 15-25, 25-21), Oct. 22.

“The first two games we played very well,” head coach David Tatum said. “We came out fired up and operated well as a team.”

Junior Emily Schoettler spearheaded the Eagle attack with 12 kills and 4 aces, junior Cassidy Hutchins had 13 digs and senior Jessa Searles 11 kills. Freshman Chantelle Brown played well at the net coming up with 5 kills and 4 blocks, while senior Jenn Boudreau displayed unmatched hustle according to Tatum.

“Chantelle really stepped it up tonight with some big hits,” Tatum said. “Jenn also had a great defensive game, hustling for every ball near her and playing with a ‘never let the ball drop’ mentality.”

After the Eagles won the first two games by wide margins, head coach David Tatum decided to switch up his lineup in order to force his team to adjust.

“The third game, I decided to throw the team a real curve ball to see how they would react as a team,” Tatum said. “I placed different players in places and roles that they were not used to being in. The girls played very well considering the transition.”

With the win, FC improved to 21-8-1 overall.

FC TOPS PANTHERS 3-0–Oct. 20
FC needed just three games to knockout league opponent Parlier (3-0: 25-18, 25-11, 25-21), Oct. 20. After his band led worship at chapel, head coach and worship leader at The Well, David Tatum coached his team to their fourth straight league triumph.

The Eagles received contributions from nearly every player on the team in the blowout victory. Junior Emily Schoettler (6 kills, 3 aces) and senior Jessa Searles (6 kills, 2 digs) led the way, while junior Cassidy Hutchins had 2 kills, 4 assists, 2 aces and 8 digs.

Junior Ashlyn White set up the Eagle’s hitters 15 times, and came up with 5 kills of her own and senior Sam Kaiser produced 4 kills, 2 aces and 5 digs.

“We are the only team in the league that has made it halfway through the season undefeated,” White said. “I’m glad we got a bad performance out of the way against Parlier before we start the second half of the league season.”

Due to an insufficient number of players on their JV squad, FC sent down sophomore Allison Camden to fill the team in place of the ill Amanda Merzon. Not only did Camden agreeably play with the team, she also stepped into Merzon’s role as setter for the JV, playing well according to Tatum.

“I gave Allison the option to play with the varsity or the JV tonight,” Tatum said. “It took a lot of humility for her to step away from our team’s game and go play with them. She played well as their setter, while trying a new position. By being a team player, she helped out the program as a whole.”

Because of the move, the JV turned a potential forfeit into a win.

“It was very humble for her to give up a night on varsity to play for JV so wouldn’t have to forfeit,” Sam Kaiser, ’10, said. “She did very well for not having played in the new position as well.”

The varsity followed with their 20th win of the season, remaining undefeated in the West Sequoia League and in sole possession of the No. 1 ranking in Division V.

EAGLES BATTLE THROUGH HOOVER TOURNAMENT–Oct. 16-17
In a wild day at the Hoover Tournament, the Eagles ended up with a 3-2 overall record and a top-ten finish out of 20 teams from D-II to D-V, Oct. 17.

Lemoore went on to defeat Sanger in the championship matchup, while El Diamante downed Caruthers in the consolation game.

“I was pretty proud of the girls even though we didn’t make it as far as I wanted to,” head coach David Tatum said. “They played some tough teams that were in divisions above them and won.”

FC started off strong with a 2-0 (25-20, 25-22) win over D-II Eleanor Roosevelt of Corona, CA, in the best-of-three format. The Eagles used 8 aces as well as 8 kills from senior Jessa Searles and 10 assists by junior Ashlyn White to overpower the Rough Riders.

Next up was the host team Hoover, who defeated FC in consecutive games (25-20, 25-19). Searles and junior Emily Schoettler each came up with 8 kills, while White had 18 assists.

“The girls’ heads were not in this game at all,” Tatum said. “Some of them really wanted to beat Hoover because they had played with those girls before. However, they let their excitement get the best of them and failed to execute.”

Despite the loss, FC bounced back to beat league rival Caruthers in straight games (25-18, 26-24). Searles pounded a game-high 15 kills to lead her team to their first victory of the day.

Junior Cassidy Hutchins provided 8 digs, Schoettler had 8 kills, and White a game-high 24 assists.

“We have played Caruthers a few times so we knew what we had to do and who we were up against,” Tatum said. “The girls came out strong and finished them off in two games. I was also able to play everyone and get the entire team warmed up for the rest of the day.”

Following the win, the Eagles earned a No. 2 seed in their pool, and headed into bracket play to take on Mariposa.

“We didn’t do so hot on friday,” junior Allison Camden said. “but on Saturday morning we had a good start and won our first two matches. There were some pretty tough schools there so the matches were pretty challenging. Overall, I think we played very well.”

The Eagles went on to defeat No. 3 seed Mariposa 2-0 (25-22, 25-17), after a long break according to Tatum. The victory set up a game with D-IV Summerville.

Even though Schoettler had 7 kills, Hutchins 5 digs and White 10 assists, FC fell 2-0 (25-15, 25-16) to Summerville.

“This was the best team we have played all year,” Tatum said. “They dug our attacks really well, had quick aggressive offense running two middles at once and played very scrappy.”

CONSISTENCY, HUTCHINS’ RETURN SPARK EAGLE’S WIN–Oct. 15
Though they split the opening two games with Fowler, the Eagles ran away with the next two for a 3-1 league win, Oct. 15. Head coach David Tatum’s team started off on the right track with a 25-23 win in the opening game.

“The first game was close going back and forth,” Tatum said. “We know that we have had a tendency to start slow, so I told the girls I really wanted them to fight hard and win the game. They battled hard and pulled out the win.”

After losing the second game 15-25, the Eagles defeated the Redcats in consecutive games 25-14 and 25-17.

Junior Cassidy Hutchins had 14 digs and 4 aces in her first game back from an ankle injury. Senior Emily Schoettler slammed down 16 kills, while junior Ashlyn White came up with 26 assists. Hutchins served during an 8-point streak that saw FC pass up Fowler in game 4.

Despite initial speculation that Hutchins would be out for 6 weeks, she returned to play just 2 weeks after her injury.

“Cassidy also played great defense for us tonight,” Tatum said. “She really came through with great serves in game three and four. In her first game back, she is already making a huge contribution to the team.”

During one play in the third game, after a passer shanked the ball, Hutchins made a flying leap to bump the ball over the net, and the Eagles eventually won the point.

“It felt really good to be back,” Hutchins said. “The first game I was back it felt like the girls kind of helped me out and stepped it up if I was slacking. The more into the game we got the more confident I got.”

Seniors Jessa Searles (11 kills), Sam Kaiser (10 kills) and freshman Chantelle Brown (5 blocks) also contributed to the Eagles win with key plays.

EAGLES KNOCK-OUT BLUE RAIDERS–Oct. 13
After losing the first game, FC squeaked out a win in the second, and went on to pound Caruthers, 3-1 ( 24-26, 28-26, 25-22, 25-14), Oct. 13.

Senior Jessa Searles led the way with a game-high 17 kills and 7 blocks, while junior Emily Schoettler added 15 kills and 3 aces. Junior Ashlyn White continued her consistent play with 34 assists, and senior Jenn Boudreau came up with 11 digs, half of them while diving.

“Jessa dominated the net for us tonight with blocks and with hitting,” Tatum said. “She stepped up her game and hit harder than I have ever see her hit before. Her leadership both vocally and with her play really helped lead the team to victory.”

Despite falling behind 21-12 in the 3rd game, the Eagles rallied to tie the score 23-23, eventually winning 28-26 to tie the match at one game a piece.

“The second game we really came back,” Boudreau said. “We really started working hard and getting into the game, so we were able to come back and pull out a win in overtime. That was very exciting for us, and it helped set the tone for the rest of the games.”

Carrying their momentum over to game three, the Eagles finished off Caruthers 25-22 to push their lead to 2 games to 1. The final game proved to be a victory lap, as FC cruised to a 25-14 victory, beating the Blue Raiders.

“By the fourth game, the girls were finally operating on all cylinders,” head coach David Tatum said. “They came out with momentum on their side up two to one. Our team showed their strength and conditioning in this match finishing strong. They are in shape and up for the endurance challenge.”

The Fresno Bee on Oct. 13 ranked FC No. 1 in Division V volleyball for the 5th week in a row. The Eagles will next host Fowler, Oct. 15.

FC MAKES QUICK WORK OF TIGERS–Oct. 8
An Eagle’s team riding a 2-game winning streak took on Tranquillity, ousting the home team 3-0, Oct. 8. FC won each game handily (25-14, 25-16 and 25-10) to remain undefeated in league play.

Senior Sam Kaiser picked up 10 points for the Eagles on serves alone, recording 10 aces. With her signature jump serve, junior Emily Schoettler had 9 aces to go along with 9 kills.

“We came out really strong,” Kaiser said, “but their team was not really aggressive and did not try their hardest. We may have played down to their level a little bit, but I feel like we really gelled as a team.”

For the second straight game, junior Ashlyn White provided 25 assists, and senior Jessa Searles 15 kills.

FC will next look to cement their No. 1 ranking in Division V, by making a statement against Caruthers.

“The team is looking forward to proving ourselves vs. Caruthers,” Kaiser said. “They have already beat us twice this season so we will see how much we have improved.”

EAGLES SWEEP RIVERDALE–Oct. 6
In their opening league battle, the Eagles brushed aside Riverdale 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-19), Oct. 6.

“The girls came out strong tonight with there first league game,” head coach David Tatum said. “Transitioning was key for us tonight. The girls had to transition off the net and play the overpass and down the ball.”

Precise sets by junior Ashlyn White (25 assists) set up several Eagles kills, as the Cowboys had no answer for FC’s aggressive attack. Senior captain Jessa Searles had 15 kills, junior Emily Schoettler 14, and senior Sam Kaiser contributed 4 and 3 aces.

“Our team came out strong tonight,” Schoettler said. “Jessa played really strong and was one of our clutch players. We just came out strong in the first game, which is key for out team because we’ve always had the problem of starting out slow.”

Tatum pointed to Schoettler’s play as one of the catalysts for the Eagle’s win.

“Emily played very well tonight,” Tatum said. “She is one of our best hitters on the team, has great vision on the court and knows how to hit the ball where the holes are in the defense. She made several clutch plays for us tonight.”

The outside hitter’s biggest play, according to Tatum, was a key kill in the second game. With FC trailing 7-3 early in the game, Tatum called a timeout to help his team regain composure.

The first play back from the timeout, Schottler took a set from White and spiked it down on the 10-foot, with the ball hitting the ground before any defender could get to it.

“I am looking forward to seeing her develop through the season,” Tatum said. “I’m glad she is only a junior so I have her next year. If she keeps working hard at her game, I can definitely see her getting a scholarship to play volleyball.”

Sophomore Allison Camden also complemented Schoettler’s game, saying she intimidated the opposing team.

“I was especially proud of Emily,” Camden said, “because she had amazing kills and the other team was scared of her. It was so awesome how she played. It was one of the best performances of the season.”

EAGLES HAND IT TO ROOSEVELT–Oct. 1
It took the FC Division V Eagles only three games to dispatch Division III Roosevelt, as they won, 25-9, 25-12, 25-21, Oct. 1

“Within the three games we were able to play, all of our players see different personal alignments,” head coach David Tatum said. “The girls played well and were excited for a home game. It was a good moral boost and a good game to get us excited for league which starts next week with our home game opener against Parlier.”

Senior Jessa Searles had 8 kills, 5 aces, 2 digs and a block, junior Emily Schoettler 5 kills and senior Sam Kaiser 3 kills as the Eagles scored the majority of their points off Roosevelt errors.

“We played our game,” Searles said. “Even though they are a Division III team, we came out much harder than them and were able to take them out really early on. It was exciting to win a scrimmage like this just before our league season starts ? it was a big confidence booster.”

Freshman Chantelle Brown has enjoyed the experience of competing on the varsity team for the first time. According to Brown, the Eagles have grown closer as a team throughout the season.

“I like being on this team, because they make me feel valued,” Brown said. “There wouldn’t be the opportunity to be on a team like this at another school. It’s more exciting playing here because of all the opportunities to compete.

FC PLACES 2ND AT COAST UNION TOURNAMENT–Sept. 19
In a whirlwind of competition at the Coast Union Tournament, the Eagles found themselves playing 10 games in one day, Sept. 19. FC went 7-3 in the tournament and finished a school-record 2nd overall.

Junior Emily Schoettler led the Eagles with a total of 37 kills on the day, while junior Ashlyn White racked up 105 assists junior Cassidy Hutchins had 43 digs.

“This weekend overall was a crucial one for the volleyball team,” senior captain Jessa Searles said. “It was a weekend that helped us learn to play together both physically and mentally. This weekend’s main focus was team bonding ? playing against difficult teams like Madera South and Coast Union really helped the team learn how to pull together.”

After opening their day with a loss to eventual champion Madera South, the Eagles won two in row against Coastal Christian (25-14) and Templeton (25-23). Freshman Chantelle Brown came up big for FC vs. Templeton, serving 12 out of 20 points. Senior Heather Lichti had 4 digs.

Following a 25-20 loss to St. Joseph, FC went on to win three straight games vs. Santa Maria, Lompoc and Coast Union to advance to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals they once again got matched up with the Coast Union Broncos, whom they defeated 25-21.

“We shouldn’t have lost that second time to St. Joseph’s,” Hutchins said. “It was just after we came back from lunch so it took a little while for us to get back on our feet. We had a difficult time shutting down their key hitters.”

Head coach David Tatum was impressed with the Eagle’s tradition-breaking win over Coast Union.

“This is the first time in several years that we have beaten Coast Union,” Tatum said. “We beat them two times back-to-back in pool play and in bracket play. The girls were really excited to win and played very well.”

In the semi-finals, the Eagles routed Lomboc 25-14, behind the strong serving of White, to set up a rematch with Madera South in the Championship game. White assited 18 times, and Hutchins had 6 kills and 5 blocks as FC rolled past the Braves.

“We played really well as a team and coach said this day would be a test of endurance,” Hutchins said. “We came together and worked with each other and were really putting into practice our control over the mental aspect of the game. ”

However, the Stallions proved too tough for FC, as they took the Championship with a 25-16 victory. Despite the loss, Tatum was content with the Eagles’ performance.

“We battled back hard against them and were ahead durning part of the game,” Tatum said. “We ended up getting stuck in a rotation we couldn’t successfully side-out from. The girls played hard and played well against a Division III team.”

In recognition for her outstanding play in the tournament, Schoettler received an award for making the All-Tournament team.

“Schoettler did so well and she really deserved the All-Tourney tag this weekend,” Searles said. “She was a really clutch player for us. She hustled, had great focus and was the all-around best player on the team. We are all very proud of her and the way she played her heart out this weekend.”

With goals of going undefeated in the West Sequoia League and earning a League Championship hanging in the balance, FC looks ahead to next week and the Riverdale Cowgirls, Oct. 6. They will first take on Roosevelt, however, at home, Oct. 1.

MISSION PREP CONTINUES WIN-STREAK AGAINST EAGLES–Sept. 18
Despite the feeling of head coach David Tatum that he had the superior team, the Eagles were routed 25-17, 25-14, 25-20 by the Mission Prep Royals, Sept. 18.

Junior Ashlyn White contributed 22 assists, while senior Sam Kaiser led the team in kills with 11 total. Junior Cassidy Hutchins (5 kills, 17 digs, 8 blocks) and senior Jessa Searles (10 kills, 7 digs, 4 blocks) turned in all-around performances for the Eagles, but the effort was not enough.

“We should have beaten this team,” Tatum said. “I think that the girls were not prepared mentally for this game. The FC volleyball team has not beaten Mission Prep in a while so it it has become a mental barrier for them more than a physical barrier. We came out and played asleep, lacking emotion and the passion we needed to play our volleyball.”

FC will look to push past the disappointing effort as they compete in the Coast Union Tournament, Sept. 19.

EAGLES OVERCOME ORANGE COVE–Sept. 10
After dropping the opening game, 25-18, vs. Orange Cove, FC went on to win 3 straight and take the match, Sept. 10.

The Eagles ran off victories of 25-19, 25-22 and 25-10 behind the play of junior captain Ashlyn White, who provided 20 assists and 8 aces. Juniors Cassidy Hutchins (19 digs), Emily Schoettler (12 kills) and senior Sam Kaiser (8 kills) also sparked FC’s performance.

The Fresno Bee on Sept. 15 ranked the Lady Eagles No. 1 in Division V volleyball.

The Eagles will next play at Mission College Prep, Sept. 18, and the Coast Union Tournament, Sept. 19.

SIERRA TOPS EAGLES–Sept. 8
In a closely matched contest, the Chieftains defeated FC, 3 games to 2 (25-27, 21-25, 25-20, 25-15, 15-11) on Sept. 8.

Following consecutive wins in the first two games of the match, FC went on to drop 3 straight to lose.

“Half of my team was sick and are still sick,” head coach David Tatum said. “It’s no excuse for losing three straight games, though, after we beat them twice. We just flatlined, and couldn’t finish.”

CARUTHERS RAISIN HARVEST TOURNAMENT, Sept. 2-5

CARUTHERS ONCE AGAIN PROVES TOO TOUGH–Sept. 5
With the championship match on the line, FC lost consecutive games 25-20 25-23, earning second place in the Caruthers Raisin Harvest Tournament, Sept. 5.

“The stage was set, we knew what we had to do to win but just couldn’t seem to play consistently through an entire game,” head coach David Tatum said. “We had several spurts of playing our game and playing well but couldn’t put it all together.”

The finish was the highest in school history for the Eagles, and also saw them put two players senior Jessa Searles and junior Ashlyn White on the all-tournament team.

In addition, Searles, a transfer from Clovis West, was named tournament MVP, despite contracting a cold over the weekend.

“She was one of the tallest players in the tournament and was also one of our best passers,” senior Heather Lichti said. “She had a fever, but she still played very well and never got down on herself.”

FC ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH–Sept. 5
The Eagles once again used a 15-7 tie-breaking game, against Selma, to advance in the Caruthers Raisin Harvest Tournament, Sept. 5.

FC lost the opening game 25-21, but answered with a 25-18 victory in the following contest. The squad went on to win their second straight tie-breaker to advance to the Championship match vs. tournament host Caruthers.

EAGLES SQUEAK OUT WIN OVER FIREBAUGH–Sept. 5
Following a two-day hiatus from the Caruthers Raisin HarvestTournament, the Eagles took on Firebaugh in the winners bracket, Sept. 5.

Though they dropped the first game, 25-24, FC came back to win the second by the same score. The game went into a tie-breaker which was won by the Eagles 15-10.

EAGLES UPSET BUCHANAN JV–Sept. 3
After losing the first game to Buchanan, 25-14, the Eagles came back to win the next two, 25-18 15-11, to take the match, Sept. 3.

FC defeated the Bear’s JV team without their seniors, who sat out for the match. With the win, the Eagles improved to 2-1-1 for pre-season play.

CARUTHERS RAISIN HARVEST TOURNAMENT, Sept. 2-5

BLUE-RAIDERS DEFEAT EAGLES BY SLIM MARGIN–Sept. 2
In two close matches, FC fell to Caruthers 25-21 and 25-24, Sept. 2.

“We should not have lost to this team,” head coach David Tatum said. “We fell apart mentally again but they showed great character in the midst of adversity. We just could not finish the deal and overcome it.”

Despite coming back from deficits of 8 and 9 points respectively in the games, the Eagles could not pull out a win and recorded their first loss of the season.

EAGLES EARN FIRST VICORY VS. KINGS CHRISTIAN–Sept. 2
Following a second-game loss to Washington Union, FC bounced back to beat Kings Christian in consecutive games, 25-21 and 25-11, Sept. 2.

An energetic Eagles’ team opened both contests with a 5-1 lead and held on to improve their record to 1-0-1 overall.

“It really didn’t matter who we were playing at this point,” head coach David Tatum said. “The girls came back from a loss and were fired up. We really saw what we were capable of. We were operating on all cylinders and everyone was clicking.”

FC TIES WASHINGTON UNION–Sept. 2
In the first game of the season, the Eagles opened with a 25-18 win over Washington Union.

However the panthers battled back to defeat FC 25-21 in the second game and improve their overall record to 0-4-1.

“They were a scrappy team that challenged us to play a smart game and place the ball well,” head coach David Tatum said. “We came out strong and played well, but we fell apart mentally the second game and beat ourselves.”

FC Volleyball: Mission Prep from Tyler Duerr on Vimeo.

Athletic Profile: Jessika Searles from Scott Callisch on Vimeo.