Your best player is your best player, and sometimes she just has to put the team on her back and carry everyone.

Taylor Brydon and the El Camino women’s volleyball team were stuck in a rut in last Saturday’s state semifinal match against L.A. Pierce College.

A two-set deficit kind of rut, with a spot at the State Championship matchup on the line.

But the magic of having a Top 25 attacker in the state is incredible.

“There was a point where my team was really down,” Brydon said. “I said to them, ‘I’m going to pick you guys up and I’m going to put you on my back and we’re going to fight through this,’ and that’s what I did and I did my best.”

Ultimately, Brydon’s 22 kills were not enough as errors down the stretch amassed and led to the demise of the Warriors as they fell in a five-set heartbreaker.

“I’m upset that we lost,” Brydon said. “But, I’m really proud of my team because we fought back. They had to earn that (win), we didn’t just give it to them. We could have easily let them have it in three, but we fought.”

El Camino ends its 2016 season with a 24-4 overall record and tied as the No. 3 team in the entire state following the loss to Pierce.

“I’m really proud of the (No. 3 ending in the state),” sophomore middle blocker Victoria Curtice said. “We gave it all we (had) and if that’s the best thing we can do, then that’s the best.

The Warriors fight was evident as after the quick 0-2 start, and during a tumultuous third set that had both crowds screaming at the officiating crew for “bad calls,” El Camino found some life.

The tournament-host L.A. Pierce College Brahmas were hoping to avoid a fifth set, but couldn’t do so after the fourth set loss.

Although the loss was tough for the Warriors, and the players were clearly distraught following the game, there were also positives.

“I feel like there was a lot of growth tonight,” EC coach Le Valley Pattison said. “Strong athletes play well when the game is on the line and we had some people do that. It was really impressive.”