Folsom top-seed in Division 1 volleyball playoffs, Oak Ridge is fifth

Folsom and Oak Ridge's varsity girls' volleyball teams ended their regular seasons on Thursday at Oak Ridge with Folsom winning in three straight sets, 25-19, 25-16, 25-15. The Bulldogs, 12-2 in the Sierra Foothill League, tied Rocklin for first place, while Oak Ridge, 6-8 in league, placed fifth in the eight-team league. Folsom was led by their big three hitters; Jazmin Ojo, Avery Masters and Addie Smith. Ojo had 14 kills, Masters had 11, and Smith had eight kills. Karmynne Hazewood chipped in five. Masters chipped in five blocks and Smith had three aces. Hazewood had two blocks and two aces. Kesley Frank led the Trojans with nine kills, while Avery Tibon had seven. As the Bulldogs get ready to defend their Division I section championship, the message from coach Devin Elmore will stay the same. "It will be the same message we've been sending all year," Elmore said. "We just control what we can control. We can't control who the opponent is. We can't control how they're going to play. We can't control the refs' calls. What we can control is our effort, our hustle, our attitude, how we respond to anything. So that's what I'm going to keep on harping on them. They're pretty level-headed girls, so I think we're going to be all right." The Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed in the Division 1 playoffs and are ready for whatever the playoffs bring. "It definitely gets more aggressive and more intentional," junior libero Alana Black said. "Right now, we're focusing on keeping our side of the court maintainable and focusing on what we can do and just having a lot of energy and enjoying our time with our seniors. The key for a good playoff run would be our connection as a team and being able to work for each other and being selfless teammates and really wanting it." Oak Ridge is the fifth seed in the Division 1 bracket. "They open the playoffs Tuesday at home against Edison. "I'm really excited to get this postseason started," Oak Ridge coach James Todd said. "I'm very confident in this group and believe that if we prepare the right way, commit to being resilient and approach every point like it's match point, we have the potential to make a solid run. "We need to be at our best come Monday, playing clean, smooth and confident volleyball. I haven't seen Edison yet, but we will be prepared, focused and ready to compete. We won't take a single round for granted. It's time to lock in, trust our work and go make a run."