The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
It was hot and loud inside the gym Thursday evening, with two scrappy teams fighting and clawing for an early hold on first place in the Moore League. With both teams’ lower level teams cheering loudly, the host Wilson girls’ volleyball team was able to rebound from a first-set loss to win the night, taking down Millikan 19-25, 25-19, 25-22, 29-27.
Wilson’s recent Stanford commit, Simrin Adams, stuffed the stat sheet with 21 kills, seven aces, and three blocks in the win.
“We knew this team was really gritty and scrappy, so after losing that first set we knew we had to battle back,” said Adams. “Go full force, no matter what, every point matters, and I think we did that really well. We brought up our energy and that momentum carried us through the rest of the match.”
Millikan jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first set thanks in part to a pair of hitting errors by Adams, and stayed in front until falling behind 17-16 on a double call. They quickly retook the lead thanks to a pair of kills by Cheyenne Lander, and then close out the set to take the 1-0 lead.
Wilson setter Naima Lewis was playing hurt for the Bruins after spraining her knee in a match last week. She said her doctor told her she could play as long as she wore the bulky brace she sported Thursday evening. She orchestrated an efficient Brins offense the rest of the night despite the fact that she was clearly playing through some pain.
“I just told myself that’s what dogs do, you have to be a dog,” she said. “I need to show up for my team and be the best teammate I can be, although I can’t perform at 100%.”
Adams said that as Wilson powered their way to wins in the second, third, and fourth sets, they drew inspiration from the way Lewis played through the pain.
“Props to her, because it was definitely really tough for her,” said Adams. “She stayed positive, I kept asking if she was okay and she’d just say yeah.”
Adams keyed the turnaround to start the second set with the Bruins’ first five kills of the frame, putting them up 6-3. Wilson went up big as they took a 14-5 lead and never looked back. In the third, an early Adams service run lasted five points and included a pair of aces, putting WIlson up 8-2, a lead they maintained the rest of the way despite a late Millikan push during a Sophia Orbiso service run.
The fourth set was where the match was won. Wilson led 4-1 then fell behind 18-14 as Bella Bonales served up a 5-0 run that included an ace. Adams had a pair of aces herself to bring Wilson within a point, but they still found themselves trailing 23-20, with a potential fifth set looming inside the sweltering gym.
Peyton Agura put down a kill, Lewis killed an overpass, and then Iyla Alvarado blocked an attempted dump by Millikan’s setter to tie it. The Bruins twice fought off set point, ultimately tying it at 26, then winning it 29-27 on kills by Adams and Agura.
For first-year Wilson coach Gersain Pineda, the high-energy atmosphere was another great welcome to the Moore League.
“It was thrilling, I loved the intensity and the energy,” he said. He also expressed happiness about how his team has developed consistency as the year has gone on. “I think we’re getting used to each other and our teamwork. It was a little rough at the beginning but I think we’re feeling it out and getting each other’s trust.”
Wilson was led by Adams’ big night as well as six kills from Milan Lewis and nine kills, one block and two aces from Agura. Millikan got 10 kills from Bethany Arnold, 10 kills and an ace from Parker Brumbelow, and six kills from Cheyenne Lander.
The win keeps Wilson atop the Moore League alongside fellow undefeated Long Beach Poly, while Millikan slips a game back with their first loss. Both teams will face the Jackrabbits in two weeks.
