ACALANES BOOSTERS

JV Girls Volleyball Beats Berean Christian.

Acalanes JV Girls Volleyball added another victory to their list by
defeating Berean Christian on Tuesday, 25-15, 25-17.   In the first game,
the Dons took an early lead with a nice run of serves by Joanna Harnish.
While both teams traded points, Acalanes never lost the advantage.  Able
defense by Ainsley Blandford, and Sara Rogers kept the Eagles at bay.
Blocks by Rachael Cox, Danielle Grobeck and Amy Thomas made for a tight
defensive wall.  Kills by Cox and Thomas as well as service aces by Rogers,
Harnish and Jen Lincoln offered up stellar offense.  Berean Christian did
not go quietly, however, and the long rallies made for parental stress.  At
24-15, the two teams battled for an extended time, but the Dons kept a tight
line and, with a serve by Lincoln and tip in by Cox, the game ended.

Game two saw the Eagles upping their game.  Points were close throughout the
first half of the set with the Dons hustling to keep the lead.  Service Aces
were provided by Blair Howard, Sophia Takashima, Julia Amaral and Cox;
blocks and kills by Natalie Goepel, Grobeck, Cox and Takashima.  The Eagles
did keep the Dons on their toes with some aggressive offense, but saves by
Josie Mueller and Amaral denied any extra points for the challenger.  A six
point service run by Takashima ended the game at 25-17.
L. Amaral

Acalanes Dons vs. Heritage Patriots

Women’s Varsity Volleyball

Set 1

The Patriots began set one with a four-point run but that was ended by an
outside kill by Tyanna Roy.  Roy followed up with another kill from the
outside on a high set from Megan Dalziel.  Dalziel had a follow-up of her
own two plays later in which she solo-stuffed Heritage’s outside kill
attempt to bring the score to 3-5 Heritage.  The Dons tied the game for the
first time when on a broken play Dalziel set up Natalie Chan for an outside
kill.  Things began looking good as the Dons began to rally and build a
lead.  Kendal Baker brought the score to 9-7 Dons, crushing a perfect 1-set
from Gaby Gaubert in the middle.

The momentum did not hold for the Dons however, and Heritage once again
assumed the lead which it would not relinquish.  However at 19-12 Baker
turned in a masterful solo block and on the next point Chan once again
showed big power from the outside by putting down a set from Gaubert.  The
rallies were long and the points were well-earned, but in the end it was
Heritage prevailing by a score of 25-16.

Set 2

To begin the second set Sierra Shimo’oka and Amanda Jarquin roofed up the
Heritage outside hitter for the first point.  On the next point it was
Shimo’oka again, this time on the offense, and putting a 1-set from Gaubert
down for the kill.  Routine play followed with both sides showing excellent
defensive passing and serve receive.  The next highlight came at 15-12
Heritage when Lisa Carrington received a floating set from Gaubert that
begged to be pounded.  Carrington obliged and the ball struck the floor
untouched.  Shimo’oka then showed her kill skills again by dropping the
hammer on a 1-set from Gaubert.  This brought the score to 22-17 Heritage
and points were traded until Heritage took the set 25-19.

Set 3

Set three began in a big way for the Dons with Gaubert delivering five
strong serves in a row; three for aces.  On the fifth, Heritage had trouble
handling it and their pass was overhit.  Shimo’oka timed the over-pass
perfectly and crushed it for a 5-0 lead for the Dons.  The Dons continued
the tough play and at one point the combination of Shimo’oka to Chan to
Gaubert (each laying out to keep the ball up and eventually over) brought
the Dons’ fans’ yells and whistles out in a big way.  After Gaubert managed
to get the ball over it dropped for the point, making it 7-3 Dons.

The next several points saw Chan showing multiple skills as she crushed an
outside set, dropped in a big service ace, a huge laid-out dig winding up in
a Jarquin kill, and general excellent defensive digging and passing.  The
score now stood at 17-16 Dons.  The game was close the whole way, but the
Dons kept ahead with big hitting by Baker, a service ace (untouched) by
Chan, and a final big roof by Gaubert and Baker to end the set at 25-20
Dons.

Set 4

The Patriots started out strong in this set and maintained the lead despite
big hitting from Tyanna Roy and Kendal Baker, and service aces by Amanda
Jarquin and Jessica Henry.  The rallies were long, and although the Dons hit
well, the Patriots were up to the task of digging them up.  The Patriots
hung on to win 25-19

B. Aiello

JV Girls Volleyball Beats Heritage:  Acalanes Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball opened their season with a victory over Heritage High School,
taking the match in two games 25-14, 25-23.  The first game saw both teams trading points, until a nice service run by Rachael Cox opened up the lead.  Heritage fought back hard, but was denied easy points by a defending back row led by Ainsley Blandford and Josie Mueller.  Acalanes
Middle’s were rock solid with tips and key blocks from Danielle Grobeck and Blair Howard.  Kills by Cox, Sophia Takashima, and Amy Thomas drove the Patriots back.  Service aces came from Grobeck, Cox, Julia Amaral and Johanna Harnish, with Harnish firing in the last three serves for the game win.

Heritage refocused their strategy for game two, nipping at the heels of
the Don’s for most of the game.  Again trading points, the Patriots even
took the lead briefly.  Libero, Mueller kept a keen eye out for long  balls, while kills by Jen Lincoln and Sarah Rogers, and blocks by
Grobeck, Howard and Cox moved the game forward at a nice clip.  Service  runs, including several aces, by Howard, Amaral and Cox kept their opponents at bay.  At 23-22, hope for Heritage was squashed as a kill attempt was denied with a diving dig by Natalie Goepel, placed perfectly
for Amaral’s set to Cox for a Dons 80=99s kill, bringing the score to
24-22.  The Lady Don’s allowed Heritage one more serve before shutting  down the match, 25-23.

L. Amaral