Colusa bounced out of volleyball playoffs

There isn't much an opposing team can do when Haley Uhland and Juliet Conant are in sync.

The East Nicolaus High setter-middle blocker duo can make team's crumble with stunning efficiency. And their latest victim came in the form of a Colusa squad which was left holding its heads in astonishment after being bounced from the Northern Section Division V playoffs in a 25-21, 25-11, 25-8 victory.

"It's a fine-tuned machine. They work well together," East Nicolaus coach Alecia Bivert-Geach said.

That machine was responsible for the No. 6 Spartans absolute control during the match after just squeaking by the 11th-seeded Redskins in game one.

In the second game, East Nicolaus stifled any attempts from Colusa to try and regain control with the simple action of Uhland feeding the ball to Conant, who punishes it whenever she spikes. Coupled with Conant's three aces, the Spartans took a 13-5 lead and coasted the rest of the way as Colusa started to show signs of implosion that would plague them for the rest of the match.

The third game became even more one-sided after Conant earned six-straight service points and outside hitter Emily Toledo became a force at the net - while her counterpart was in the back row. It allowed the Spartans to go on a 14-3 run to open the game and ultimately sealed the fate of a Colusa squad that had become completely unraveled.

Players were running into each other. Simple digs became unforced errors and soft returns over the net from East Nicolaus were finding holes and tallying points. All of which Colusa coach Toni Ann Apaseo believes come as a result of two things: An unhealthy Magaly Acevedo - who injured her foot playing soccer - and a team that waits for the other person to make a play on the ball.

Colusa finished the season with a 9-11 mark.