College of the Sequoias' Brittany Avalos (3) after scoring a goal in an earlier match this season versus Bakersfield College on September 12, 2025. (Werrason Bakindo / COS Athletics)

September 24, 2025

Giants Earn Conference Win Behind Balanced Team Effort on the Road at Merced

Sequoias

2-4-1, 1-1

Merced

1-5-1, 0-3

Final	1	2	T
Sequoias (2-4-1, 1-1)	1	1	2
Merced (1-5-1, 0-3)	1	0	1

MERCED, Calif. – College of the Sequoias women's soccer earned its first Central Valley Conference victory of the season Tuesday afternoon, using a pair of goals from sophomore Brittany Avalos (Tulare Western HS) and Clarissa Diaz (Mt. Whitney HS) to claim a 2-1 win over Merced.

With the result, the Giants improved to 2-4-1 overall and 1-1 in CVC play, while Merced fell to 1-5-1 and 0-3 in the conference.

The Giants bounced back from an early 1-0 deficit after Merced took the lead in the 15th minute. Just before halftime, Sequoias broke through in the 37th minute when Brittany Avalos finished off a pass from Kaitlin Siebuhr (Golden West HS) to tie the match at 1-1.

"We've been emphasizing resilience and effort in training, and I think our players showed both today," said COS Head Women's Soccer Coach Brooklyn Morris. "That equalizer before halftime gave us a lift, and our intensity carried into the second half."

The momentum carried into the second half, and it didn't take long for the Giants to strike again. Less than three minutes into the half, freshman Clarissa Diaz scored what would prove to be the game-winner in the 48th minute, capitalizing on an assist from defender Mia Newlin-Gonzales (Highland HS) to make it 2-1.

From there, COS relied on strong play from both goalkeepers—sophomore Haylie Brasil (Manteca HS) and freshman Madison Lujan (Hanford HS)—to close out the win. Lujan made five in the first half, while Brasil recorded eight saves in the second.

"We had contributions from all over the field today," Morris added. "Both goalkeepers made big stops, our backline held strong, and we created good opportunities in transition. We're starting to figure things out and grow into who we want to be. We'll take the lessons from today and carry them into our next match as we continue to build momentum."

The Giants outshot Merced 15-14 and matched the Blue Devils with 13 total saves. COS played a cleaner match, not conceding any corner kicks or fouls compared to Merced's six corners.

Upcoming Matches

College of the Sequoias will continue their road trip, as they will travel to Reedley on Friday, September 26 at 6:00 p.m. and at Clovis on Tuesday, September 30 at 4:00 p.m. They will return home to host Taft College on Friday, October 3 at 12:00 p.m. It will be a doubleheader, as the Men's will host Clovis at 3:00 p.m., all at Sequoias Stadium.