While the Patterson High volleyball team didn’t come out on top against visiting Livingston High in their Western Athletic Conference opener, that didn’t stop coach Tarah High from praising the Tigers’ effort.

“We started off strong, but we talk at practice about being more consistent, about bringing our A game every time we play,” High said. “We just need to keep our intensity up throughout each match.”

From the start of the Sept. 17 match with the Wolves, a 3-0 defeat, every point was a battle, High said.

“The problem, as it has been in the preseason, is consistency,” she said. “We can stay with a team for a while and play them point for point, but we often make mistakes on plays we shouldn’t.”

Livingston (3-2 overall, 1-0 WAC) used three hard-fought games to subdue Patterson (2-7, 0-1), claiming victory 25-19, 25-13, 25-16.

Samantha Camacho, Mariele Schut and Mele Tupouata led the Tigers with two kills apiece. Teammate Samantha Ruiz had seven assists; Karina Villafana and Sadie Schut each tallied eight digs; and Emma Dallimore added seven digs.

While the final score was all Livingston, the individual game scores revealed a competitive Patterson effort.

“The team knows that they have a tough schedule and that they need to fight (for each match),” High said. “This was a good experience for them. We’ll continue to work hard at practice and come out ready to play our next match.”

Junior varsity

The JV Tigers bested visiting Livingston High 2-1 on Monday, Sept. 17, to open their WAC campaign.

Patterson prevailed by scores of 25-16, 13-25, 15-13.

Cassandra Santelices led the Tigers in victory with four aces. Kianna Garza, Keana Lindsey and Santelices each added a kill.

Freshmen

Patterson High’s freshman volleyball team suffered a defeat to visiting Livingston High by a 2-0 margin on Monday in the first league match. Livingston won 25-16, 25-13.

Contact Marc Aceves at 892-6187, ext. 28, or marc@pattersonirrigator.com.