The DVC women’s volleyball team won a hard-fought match against Sacramento City College 3-1, on Friday, Nov. 2.

 “Today was a very important match for us, since we were playing for sole possession of fourth place,” Coach Jackie Ponciano-Babb said after the game. Her team played with that understanding.

To simply win a game is one thing. To hold on to a key spot in the standings is another.

The first set laid the template for how most of the match would unfold. DVC had a small lead at 12-10 when their energy picked up. A combo block by Anya Sapozhnikov and Alyvia Melin made it 14-10, forcing Sac City to call the first of a litany of timeouts. DVC slowly built a five-point lead, 22-17, highlighted by back-to-back kills by Abbie Noland and Sandra Foster. But Sac City didn’t crumble, rallying a 6-2 run. At 24-23, Foster rose up and deposited a kill to the right corner of Sac City, giving DVC the first set 25-23.

Both teams came out firing in the second set. Kill after kill led to a 6-6 tie. Neither team held a lead of more than two for most of the set. DVC eventually strung together a 7-2 run to lead 22-17, forcing another Sac City timeout. After Sac City took the next point, DVC pulled a rabbit out of its hat: A spike by Sac City was dug out in center court by Sheila Tuvell, tipped up on a dive by Noland, and bumped over by Foster. DVC took the point, then followed that up with another wild string of digs and saves which built up to a set-clinching kill by Noland, and a 25-19 win.

Sac City started the third set with a small lead. DVC was a bit out of sync, which Sac City took advantage of to go up 10-16. A powerful kill by Foster spurred a 5-0 DVC run, which forced yet another Sac City timeout.

The stoppage didn’t slow down the Vikings, who continued their run and took their first lead of the set at 17-16. The set remained extremely tight from then on. Counterpunches by both sides forced extra points to be played. Tied at 25 a piece, DVC had two slight lapses that gave Sac City the set, 25-27.

DVC was able to prevent the last set from creating a snowball effect. The Vikings established an 11-7 lead behind consistent kills by Noland. Noland was such a constant threat in fact that at one point she loaded up for another power shot, forcing two Sac City players to rush to the net, then lightly tapped it over them.

A huge dual block by Maddie Ward and Lindsay Wood stood out during the construction of a 23-14 lead. After Sac City pulled within five, Noland smashed another kill for 24-18. Fittingly, the set and match was won on a kill by Noland that could not be handled by Sac City.

DVC showed resilience throughout the entire match, refusing to concede any points without a struggle. Taking a stronghold of fourth place in conference wasn’t their only impetus. “We were also looking to avenge a close loss in five sets at their place. So there were a couple reasons for the extra energy,” said Ponciano-Babb.

DVC’s next, and final, home game is on Friday, Nov. 9 versus American River Colleg