The University Interscholastic League volleyball playoffs often bring a sense of renewal. Coaches and players talk about a reset and how events of the regular season or past postseasons rarely carry weight. Every team, theoretically, is 0-0.

Brandeis and Smithson Valley took such a tack in their playoff openers on Thursday at Littleton Gym. And for all the insistence on having an amnesia mindset, Brandeis’ Cecily Alva and Smithson Valley’s Victoria Jaster ended up having nights to remember.

Alva’s heady attacking propelled Brandeis past Pieper 25-17, 25-18, 26-24 in a Class 6A Division II bidistrict matchup of teams that won district titles. In the nightcap of a doubleheader, Jaster’s beyond-her-years performance lifted Smithson Valley over Alamo Heights 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-12 in a 5A Division I contest.

“We have to keep pushing forward, getting better, practicing harder, coming together more as a team, and just keeping everyone positive and uplifted,” Alva said. “We just don’t want to lose this.”

A junior, Alva did her part in helping the Broncos (31-13) win their 12th in a row. While Olivia Munoz (14 kills, .355 hitting percentage, four aces) and Allison Rodgers (12 kills) were pounding away from the outside, Alva kept the Pieper (27-16) off-balanced with a steady diet of well-placed and hard-hit shots. Freshman setter Addison Wells (40 assists) engineered it all.

“There’s definitely a difference moving the teams hitting the ball, and then after a while, starting tipping,” Alva said. “We can’t just keep swinging and swinging, or we can’t just keep tipping and tipping. We have to mix it up to keep these teams on their heels.”

Even with a balanced attack shining, it was defense that perhaps put Brandeis over the top. The Broncos, who used early surges to win the first two stanzas and overcame a 23-18 deficit in the third set, had 80 digs and never allowed Pieper to get into a rhythm. Adalin Gutierrez had a team-high 23 digs to lead the way. Munoz had 17, and Madisyn Sauceda and Araceli Cervera contributed 12 apiece.

Smithson Valley has been on the cusp of making deep runs in the postseason in recent season, but was simply a victim of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. In 2023, the Rangers lost to Liberty Hill. In 2024 and 2025, they fell short against Corpus Christi Flour Bluff. Two years ago, Flour Bluff won a state title, and Liberty Hill advanced to the state final in 2023.

“It’s a different team,” Smithson Valley coach Melissa Miller said. “They’ve got a different personality than last year, the year before. The teams we’re playing are different. I try not to compare from year to year, unless we can find a way to prepare them better or we have something to share that we think will help.”

It proved to be a smart approach, considering four of her key players were making their playoff debuts. Jaster, a freshman who a year ago was in middle school, didn’t look or play the part. She had a match-high 22 kills as the Rangers (36-6)
extended their winning streak to 18, taking control midway through the first, second and fourth sets, and bouncing back after stumbling in the third frame to prevail. Ava Gilpin tallied 10 kills and two blocks, Brienn Brown notched 22 digs and eight kills, Teagan Walker had eight kills, Emma Feomaia racked up 41 assists, 12 digs and two blocks, and Madison Moody recorded 26 digs. Presley Bates had three aces.

“A big thing is Coach Miller,” Jaster said. “She is very supportive of me, and she understands that we do make mistakes, and my teammates are always there for me. My dad always says, have a gold-fish mentality. If it doesn’t go well, just forget about it and move on to the next play, and have confidence that your teammates and you can play your game and just do your best.”

terrence@terrencesports.com
X: @sa_terrence1