League proving tough as slide continues for Pacifica Christian girls’ volleyball

Pacifica Christian High’s girls’ volleyball team enjoyed early success this year.

The Tritons were off to the races, coming out of the gates with a 7-2-1 start after their first 10 games. No one expected things to come that easily for the second-year varsity program, and they have not lately.

Despite spending the majority of the season atop the CIF Southern Section Division 10 rankings, the Tritons have taken their lumps in the Express Gold League. Pacifica Christian dropped its fifth straight match on Thursday, as visiting Orangewood Academy notched the 25-13, 26-24, 25-20 sweep.

The Tritons’ regular season will conclude next Monday when they host Avalon. The team’s recent skid has put its playoff future in doubt. Pacifica Christian is 9-10-1 overall, meaning it must win its last game to achieve a .500 record.

“We haven’t played anyone in our division, so I guess our league is tougher than the division that we’re in,” freshman opposite Anna Eddy said. “I think it’s a good challenge to play them and get better.”

Orangewood Academy (16-5, 7-2) entered the week as the seventh-ranked team in CIF-SS Division 9. The Spartans controlled the match with their height in the middle. Aixchel Hernandez (eight kills) and Jacqueline Saucedo, Orangewood’s pair of 6-foot middle blockers, combined for five blocks in the match.

“Both of the middles played really well,” Spartans coach Nguyen Ly said. “They both had huge blocks in all three of the games. Those are our best players, our best hitters, so that’s who we’re going to go through every time.”

Orangewood is one game back in the loss column of Capistrano Valley Christian and Rowland Heights Southlands Christian for first in league. The Spartans will close out the season at home against CVC on Tuesday.

Pacifica Christian found itself trying to catch up in sets. Tritons coach Kimberly Adams said her team has to do a better job of creating opportunities to attack and sustain runs.

“We had to keep balls in the court, and not only in the court, but we had to find those opportunities to create kills,” she said.

One sign at the top of the bleachers addressed a strength of the Tritons. It read, “If you want a soft serve, go to DQ (Dairy Queen).”

Late in the second set, the Tritons used two aces from Eddy and Grace Cutrell each to erase a 23-17 deficit. Pacifica Christian tied it up at 24-24, but Orangewood would win the next two points.

Eddy seems to embody the spirit of the sign in the gym. When she steps up to serve, she pounds the ball into the ground for a couple of practice strikes before putting up her actual serving attempt. The thuds from the ball bouncing on the hardwood court echo throughout the gym.

“It’s just kind of like I’m trying to calm myself down,” Eddy said of her approach. “It’s kind of the way I’m going to hit the ball.

“It kind of intimidates people. They get a little bit scared, and then they don’t pass as well, so that’s kind of fun when I do it.”

Maddy Alaluf had eight kills and 12 assists in the loss.

Andrew.Turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner