The Acalanes Freshman Girls Volleyball Team beat Dublin in two sets Thursday, capping a season with yet another victory and ending with an overall 13-2 record, a third place at the Northgate Tournament and a First Place at the St. Vincent-St. Patrick Tournament.

When they met last, the Dons beat Dublin in three tough matches.  This time, Acalanes took care of business in two.  The team, led by Coach Bryan Mall, played with precision, using their year of training to effectively shut down the Gaels.  In the first set, services aces were offered up by Alta Paladino, Holly Gillar, Jillian Wickline and Dana Piercy.  Middle Blocker Janine Jaber’s subtly placed tips kept Dublin off balance while kills from sets by Dory Grobeck to Sarah Moore, Gillar, Piercy, and Paladino pushed the Gaels back on their heels.  Some nice back row hits by Libero Ying Stroebe and defense work from Claire Amaral and Wickline let nothing pass.  First game:  Dons 25, Gaels 21.

Game two moved fast.  After the Gaels lost their first service, a four-point service run by Moore, three of them aces, set the tone.  When Dublin was able to return the ball, blocks by Lily Bauer and Amaral shut them down.  Tips by Jaber, and a sliding save by Amaral added the element of surprise, while kills from sets by Holly Fleischmann, to Katie McCarty, Moore and Wickline left no doubt.  Wickline made the final point with a screaming kill to the back corner.  Second game:  Dons 25, Gaels 12.

Lucy Amaral