Please note that statistics were not kept for this full-day tournament.

Tournament play began early in the day, and the first opponent for the Dons was Carondolet. They were a good team, and some inconsistent play by the Dons resulted in a loss in the three-set match. Although serving was improved overall, serve-outs still were a problem in this match. Serve-receive was much improved for the Dons as was passing in general. But again, it was little errors in coverage, serving, and communication that made for a tough match.

Second up was the team from Presentation High. They are the girls’ counterpart to Bellarmin High (much like Carondolet and De La Salle). And just as Bellarmin has a high athletic reputation, Presentation has put together a very solid team. The Dons dropped the first set 10-25, but showed real strength, will, and unity as they posted 20 points in the second set. Although it was a loss, the Dons played much better and continued to improve on serving and passing. They really developed a rhythm to their game despite Presentation’s high level of play. Worth considering is that in that last set the Dons gave up an 8-point run and still recovered enough to tally twenty points.

The third team in this 4-team pool was Northgate, and the Dons really came together for a 2-set win. Serving was outstanding as the Broncos had much difficulty getting accurate passes from the Dons’ serves. Overall hustle was evident in the Dons and the girls played focused volleyball from start to finish. Scores: 25-22, 25-19.

In bracket play in the afternoon, the Dons were up against the Minutemen from Concord High. The Dons prevailed in very close sets (21-25, 25-20, and 15-11). The Dons had really found a rhythm and were playing at a high level. The play was much more consistent, serving and coverage vastly improved, and the girls really played as a team.

The final match was against Salesian High from Richmond. A very good team with a lot of talent and hustle. The Dons had a 2-hour break after the Concord High match, and that long rest period may not have been the best thing for them. Salesian was not an overpowering team, but they got to just about everything the Dons sent over the net. Scores were close (20-25, and 18-25) but the Dons just could not manage to take a set.

Overall a tournament that showed strong improvement throughout the day.

Submitted by Brian Aiello