This well-attended match-up between the Acalanes Dons and the Alhambra Bulldogs was exciting from start to finish. Although this writer was not present until the last few points of the first set, there was still quite a bit of action left to go.

Set 1: Final two points. At 23-17 (Dons’ points listed first) Team Co-captain Brooke Aiello took a set from Jojo Harnish at the outside and drilled it down to make the score 24-17 Dons. On the final point, Aiello delivered a serve that the Bulldogs had trouble handling and could not get the ball back over.
Final Score Set 1: 25-17 Dons.

Set 2: A couple routinely-played points started the set until at 2-0 Lisa Carrington took a back-row set from Jojo Harnish and delivered a kill from the 10-foot line. At 6-3 it was Amanda Jarquin’s turn to display the power as she clobbered an opposite-side set that went straight to the Bulldogs’ floor. Team Co-captain Alex Ligouri followed that up on the next point with an untouched service ace. The Dons were really on a roll at this point and at 9-5 Lila Schoenfield put the hammer down on a perfect middle set from Harnish. On the following rally, the play was ended emphatically with a Lisa Carrington kill from the outside. At 12-9 it was time to really show some defense as Co-captain Megan Dalziel came up with two amazing digs in the back row, the final one going right to Harnish who put up a tasty outside set that was crushed by outside hitter Tyanna Roy. At 14-9 it was Roy again, this time on defense, going up and over to stuff the Bulldog’s setter’s dump attempt. 16-12 saw Schoenfield again at middle-hitter pounding down another great middle-set by Harnish. With the set coming to its end, Jarquin smacked another kill at the opposite side to make the score 23-13.
Final Score Set 2: 25-16 Dons.

Set 3: A few closely-traded rallies brought the score to 2-2, but it was Brooke Aiello bringing back the power with a kill that blew right through the two Bulldog blockers. The Bulldogs managed a slight lead at 4-5 but Alex Ligouri ensured that it ended quickly by a great back row dig that went right to Jojo Harnish who then delivered a fine set to Marie Teichman who then made a delivery of her own with a resounding kill to tie the score. Next point it was Dani Grobeck’s turn to serve and she served up an ace to bring the lead back to the Dons. The next two points became the Marie Teichman show as she got consecutive sets from Harnish that she hammered down. At 8-8 Aiello took a great cross-court set from Harnish that beat the block and powered it down for the kill. Routine points were traded back and forth in the closely-scored set when at 17-16 it was Megan Dalziel again with a hustling save that got the ball to Harnish to then set up Josie Mueller in the back row. With everyone expecting a free ball to come over, Mueller put a big swing on it and sent the ball to the Bulldogs’ floor for the point. At this point the Dons had the momentum going and to ensure it, Grobeck and Lisa Carrington both went up high and extended over the net to roof up a Bulldogs kill attempt to make the score 21-18. At 23-20 Carrington came right back on the offense to crush another beautiful set by Harnish, and to close out the game in a big way, Grobeck crushed a middle-set sending it to the floor untouched.
Final Score Set 3: 25-20 Dons.
Match Goes to the Dons in 3.

Submitted by Brian Aiello