The 2026 MCHS varsity volleyball team is shown. From left are Taylor Krull, Gillian Pioske, Grace Beery, Emma Pioske, Kylee Hutchings, Jade Lust, Kylie Williams, Chloe King, Zoey Hofstee, Abby Beery, Olivia Twiss and Tylie Allison.
It wasn’t the result the team and supporters were hoping for, but it was still a season to remember for the Mariposa County High School volleyball program.
Mariposa came into the postseason with high hopes and tall expectations. The Grizzlies had a senior-heavy roster, led by setter Emma Pioske.
The Grizzlies hosted the Amador Buffaloes on Oct. 27, hoping to make a deep run into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Girls Volleyball Division 5 Playoffs bracket.
But Amador ended up winning 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 25-15.
“It was a frustrating loss, but a lot of credit to Amador — they were a really good team. It really came down to our serve-and-pass game. We just weren’t consistent enough on serve receive and weren’t able to be aggressive enough with our serve to get them out of system,” said MCHS coach Holly Earling.
“Offensively, we couldn’t get our middles going so we got a little too predictable so their defense was able to help them score more efficiently than we did.”
Abby Beery goes up for a kill attempt during last week’s volleyball match. Photos by Mark Ruggiero
Emma Pioske teamed up with her sister Gillian to both record nine kills. Kylie Williams had eight kills while Chloe King logged seven. Emma Pioske also had five aces. Abby Beery led the team with 23 digs while Emma Pioske had 17. Emma also accumulated 29 assists.
“I want to mention Livie Twiss. She did a great job coming off the bench when Gillian had to come out with an injury. And Kylie Williams really stepped up, playing six rotations for the first time this season. She was solid defensively and had some great swings when we got her good looks at the net,” Earling said.
Mariposa finished the season 27-11 and did win the Southern League with an undefeated season, but it was a tough way to end the season.
Still, coach Earling remained positive.
“I’m really proud of this group. They worked hard, overcame some adversity and finished with our third straight undefeated league season. I’m going to miss these seniors a lot. Those five girls were a big part of two of those three seasons and have been huge pieces of this program. They’ll be tough to replace,” Earling explained.
The team should be in good hands, as there were six juniors on the team this season who will be poised to leave their mark next year. The sophomore, Williams, was also a standout and should again be a big contributor.
Amador went on to be eliminated by Bret Harte on Oct. 29. The tournament championship is set for Nov. 7.
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