Top-seeded Bulldogs fall in straight sets in boys volleyball CIF semifinal

Calexico could never recover after falling behind early to No. 5 Escondido Charter

CALEXICO, Calif., (KYMA, KECY) - The sport of boys volleyball had quite the introduction in 2023 for many Imperial Valley schools - especially the Calexico Bulldogs.

It was a run that was highlighted by an unbeaten (14-0) record in league play where five Imperial Valley teams reached the CIF Division V bracket in a relatively new competitive sport in the area - earning them the top seed.

But on Wednesday night, their incredible run came to a halting stop - losing to No. 5 Escondido Charter in straight sets. After falling behind early in the first set, the Bulldogs could never fully recover and make enough runs to knock off the visiting White Tigers, who they beat earlier in the regular season.

"We really struggled with blocking," said head coach Humberto Sierra. "We beat them earlier this season and knew how to beat them, but not tonight."

Blocking was just one of the issues for the Bulldogs in this one. After dropping the first set, it marked the first lost set for them since April 15th - where they rattled off 17 straight wins through Saturday's second round win over Central.

Despite the devastation of falling at home just shy of a CIF title game appearance, the future holds bright for a young group and a very young program in the making.

"The guys were very sad and frustrated but I'm proud of them. It's a young team and a learning experience," added Sierra. "We want to work for the future and I'm very positive that we can do it. Next year, we'll work back and get to the final."

While Calexico has maintained and built a solid club program for several years, this was the first year where the sport grew exponentially for official CIF play - adding several teams like Imperial and Central to the mix, alongside Brawley and Southwest. Thus, allowing the Imperial Valley to grow together stronger and make a push in the CIF playoffs.

For Calexico, they took the league by storm and showed that they and the rest of the Imperial Valley can make their mark in boys volleyball moving forward.