Calipatria secures dominant first round playoff win

CALIPATRIA, Calif. (KYMA) - The Calipatria Hornets opened their CIF volleyball playoff run with a three-set sweep of the Julian Eagles in the first round of the Division 5-AA bracket.

Calipatria took control late in the second set as Nicole Carvajal served to close it out. After Julian returned the ball, Layla Amial set up the Hornets for another opportunity, with Carvajal delivering the set to Camila Saldaña. Saldaña finished the point with a powerful spike that Julian could not handle, giving Calipatria a 25-23 set victory and a two-set advantage.

The Hornets carried that momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Brianna Jimenez delivered a big spike to cap the early run as Calipatria continued to put pressure on the Eagles.

After Julian scored a point, the Hornets responded with nine consecutive points behind Nathalia Mendoza's serving, extending their lead to 14-1.

Calipatria continued to dominate down the stretch. Saldaña helped keep the play alive with a bump, Abryam Sadberry delivered the set, and Jimenez finished with another powerful hit to secure the victory.

The Hornets closed out the third set with a commanding 25-5 win to complete the sweep and advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face second-seeded Ocean View Christian on Thursday.