Pierce Collects 1000th, Suns Win 15th, Earn Trip to District Championship
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas – Kalaya Pierce was sitting on the precipice of something special. But she needed to wait.
Now her team is in the same position.
In a match Pierce, Dallas College Cedar Valley's sophomore setter from Lindale, Texas, recorded her 1000th career assist, her team crossed over a bridge of its own. The Suns swept Dallas College Richland, 25-22, 25-14, 25-20, in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Southwest District semifinals at Dallas College Brookhaven Friday night.
It marked the first time since 2003 Cedar Valley (15-20) reached the district championship match. The Suns will meet No. 4-ranked Brookhaven (22-9) for the title 4 p.m. Saturday in a match to be broadcast by TSRN Sports.
"We've been really working to get to this point," Pierce said. "We're ready to go. We've waited for this moment."
1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ �� for @CedarValleyVB's Kalaya Pierce, the @NJCAAVolleyball DIII leader in assists. #MilestoneMoment | #DallasCollegeProud | #CedarValleySuns pic.twitter.com/aoRIAaOq7Y
— Dallas College Cedar Valley Athletics (@CedarValleySuns) November 2, 2022
Pierce, who leads the nation in assists with 1,003, had 14 assists in the first set as the Suns hit .423 on 26 swings. She added nine more in the second when Cedar Valley took command of the match. Her eighth assist of the third set – one where the Thunderducks tested the Suns' mettle late before Cedar Valley closed it out – reached the magic number.
It wasn't until Cedar Valley had secured a date in the district championship match for the first time in 19 seasons – before some of these Suns were even born – that she found out she'd reached the milestone mark as assistant coach Erica MacHuca tabulated her career totals in a team huddle – the suspense of the wait symbolic of the wait these Suns have experienced in their quest to reach the district title match.
"That was the best feeling ever," Pierce said of being able to share the moment with her teammates. "I wouldn't have been able to do that without them. That was just a really good feeling to know that I have them behind me, with me …"
In this one, the Suns combined to hit .312, and served up nine aces, avenging a four-set loss to the Thunderducks (10-28) in the second of two regular season Dallas Athletic Conference meetings.
"I believe that today we got a great opportunity to do everything," Cedar Valley head coach Isabel Almendarez-Ramos said. "They've been working really hard all year. Obviously, we had a little bit of a struggle with the idea that we can still manage to be able to close out in three."
�� @CedarValleyVB coach Isabel Almendarez-Ramos talks about her team's @NJCAAVolleyball DIII Southwest District semifinal win over @RichlandTducks#NJCAA | #PostseasonVolleyball | #DallasCollegeProud | #CedarValleySuns pic.twitter.com/HHGj3GnKDe
— Dallas College Athletics (@AthleticsDallas) October 29, 2022
Laila Beck had 10 kills and four blocks, while hitting .368. Isaline Jaquemyn had nine kills and two aces. Lauren Collier banged down nine kills, and hit .562. Emma Adebowale had 11 digs. Pierce finished with three aces and four blocks. Angelys Rivera had seven blocks, and Lauren Flanagan added two aces.
Now the Suns will revisit their biggest rivals this season when they match up with Brookhaven for all the marbles in Round 3. The Bears have won the two previous meetings.
"I think that will be an exciting match," Almendarez-Ramos said. "I think the girls are excited to compete. They're looking for that competition to kind of give them that extra push. I think they're very hungry, very hungry to close out and create some history."
On this Friday night in Cedar Valley Country, there was plenty of it.
