Volleyball Girls

In Wednesdays action…
The girls volleyball team closed the season with a well-played game against Sir Francis Drake HS in the NCS playoffs.

In Thursdays action…
The girls water polo team plays at Campolindo HS at 4:30 in the NCS semifinals.
The boys water polo team plays at Miramonte HS at 6:15 in the NCS semifinals.
The football team hosts Las Lomas HS.  JV at 4:30, and varsity at 7:00.  The senior night presentation will be at 6:30.

R. Takahashi

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

            Alex Ligouri:                10 Digs

            Megan Dalziel:            4 Digs, 2 Kills

            Tyanna Roy:                11 Digs, 19 Kills, 2 Aces, 1 Block

            Brooke Aiello:              7 Digs, 15 Kills, 3 Aces, 2 Blocks

            Lila Schoenfield:         2 Kills, 2 Blocks

            Marie Teichman:         2 Digs, 1 Kill

            Jojo Harnish:               49 Assists, 2 Aces, 3 Digs

In Thursdays action…
The girls volleyball team continues to provide clutch performances.  They fell behind 2 games to none to Dublin HS before winning the next three games 25-20, 25-9, 15-5, to record a DFAL victory in the last match of the regular season.  Tyanna Roy and Brooke Aiello were hitting with authority.  The jv and freshmen teams finished the season with 2 game wins over Dublin HS.

In Fridays action…
Tessa Karagocev continues play in the second day of the DFAL Girls Tennis Championships at Dougherty Valley HS.

In Saturdays action…
The #3 seeded girls water polo team hosts #6 Northgate HS at 3:45 in the NCS quarterfinals.
The #3 seeded boys water polo team hosts #14 Mission San Jose HS at 5:00 in the first round of the NCS playoffs.
The cross country team competes in the DFAL Championships at Hidden Valley Park at 1:00.

R. Takahashi

The end of the season may be coming near, but the Acalanes Dons Freshman Girls Volleyball team keeps bringing the heat with another victory, this time against Miramonte, beating their cross-town rivals in two sets, 25-8, 25-17.  Game one was all about offense, including a ten-point service run by Alta Paladino.  When the serve was returned, kills by Dana Piercy, Janine Jaber, Taylor Odom and Katie McCarty fed from sets by Dory Grobeck, shut the Mats down quickly.  Ying Stroebe, fresh from being named Most Valuable Player at the St.Patrick-St. Vincent tournament, led defense with skilled passing and quick digs.   Dons take the first game, 25-8.

Game two saw the Mats reorganizing to face Acalanes, and Miramonte managed to gain a slight lead during the first part of the set.  However, nice service aces by Holly Fleischman quickly brought the score to the Dons side.  Additional aces by Jillian Wickline, and Paladino kept the lead firmly in Acalanes court.  Kills by Claire Amaral, Lily Bauer, Odom, Wickline and McCarty off sets by Fleischmann expanded the Dons lead.  Tips by Holly Gillar, Fleischmann, a nice back row kill by Paladino and a service run by Wickline sealed the win for the Dons, 25-17.

The Dons will play their final match Thursday at Acalanes against Dublin.

Lucy Amaral

In yesterdays action…
The Acalanes Dons girls water polo team defeated San Rafael HS 15-1 to advance to Saturdays NCS quarterfinal round where they will be the host school at 3:45.

In todays action…
The girls volleyball team closes out the regular season hosting Dublin HS.  The seniors will be honored at 6:00.  Freshmen at 4:00, jv at 5:00, varsity at 6:30.

R. Takahashi

This match not only had the excitement of a local rivalry, but also had the added intensity of the Dons needing to win to stay in contention for NCS Playoffs.  A loss here would mean no shot at making those playoffs.  The Mats soundly beat the Dons in their first meeting this season at Miramonte, 3-sets to none (and also took both matches last year).

 Set 1:  In this second meeting of the season between the Dons and the Miramonte Matadors the Dons came out swinging.  But the Mats were up to the challenge and the scoring was very close in the early going.  Beginning at 9-8 (Dons scores listed first), the Mats had a strong server at the line and she ran off five straight to bring the score to 9-13.  This was finally ended when Brooke Aiello went up for a kill on a well-covered set and calmly pushed the ball to an open area on the Mats court.  On the next point a long rally ensued in with both sides hitting and digging at a high level.  But it ended well for the Dons when Aiello took a Jojo Harnish set and hammered it down at the outside slot.  On the point after that, the Mats outside hitter sent a bullet through the Dons block but Josie Mueller made a great dig on it, Harnish put another set up to Aiello, and she pounded it for the Dons score.  Aiello was on fire at this early point in the match and she brought the Dons back into the lead with another strong kill to make the score 15-14.  Tyanna Roy made an outstanding pass on a well-hit ball from the Mats, Harnish put it up in the middle and Rachel Cox immediately put it down to make the score 16-all.  The Dons were barely managing to hang on to the lead and at 19-18 Roy sent another kill to the floor.  Kendall Baker got into the highlight mix with a big middle kill at 20-19 and she showed some great serving ability when at 22-21 she dropped the ball barely over the net for a short-serve ace.  The end-point of this first game was coming up but it was very tense with the score so close.  A mishandled Mats’ serve by the Dons was chased down by Aiello, and she put up a beautiful set that Roy flattened to make it 24-22.  Aiello came up to serve and unleashed a hard-hit, no-spin serve that the Mats receivers could not handle to end the game.

Final Score Set 1:  25-22 Dons.

Set 2:  Action in this second set started out routinely until at 2-1 Rachel Cox blasted an opposite-side kill.  Then on the next point, Dani Grobeck came up with a great solo block in the middle.  At 4-2 Tyanna Roy began using an extreme cut shot that she could get past the block.  This cut shot became a potent weapon that Roy would use often in the match.  The Mats mounted a string of points and took the lead at 4-5, but that ended when Jojo Harnish took a deep pass and put up a backrow set for Brooke Aiello.  Aiello didn’t hold back and pounded it from the 10-foot line to go untouched to the Mats floor.  The Dons went on a scoring run of their own that included a service ace by Rachel Cox at 7-5 followed by a one-hand joust winner by Roy at 8-5 and a solo middle block by Kendall Baker at 9-5 (note: a joust is when the ball is right above the net and two players make contact simultaneously, both pushing toward the other).  Cox was putting on a clinic on spot-serving, taking advantage of the Mats’ freshman back-row player who was having difficulty getting a good pass off her serves.  The run ended at 10-5 and with the 5-point lead things seemed under control.  But the Mats are an excellent team and they came right back and eventually regained the lead keeping the game close.  At 13-15 Dani Grobeck and Megan Dalziel teamed up to stuff a kill attempt by the Mats big opposite hitter.  Bringing the score to 15-16 was a well-placed power-dink by Cox followed up by Roy again showing the power with a resounding hit at the outside.  Both teams really wanted this game and it showed in the overall great play and hustle.  But despite a powerful outside crush by Aiello and two pile-driver middle kills by Baker, the Dons could not regain the lead.

Final Score Set 2:  21-25 Mats.

Set 3:  This was a tough set for the Dons.  The rhythm that was established in the first two sets seemed to disappear, and their overall play was inconsistent.  The Mats are not a team to let this slip by, and true to their ability, they overpowered the Dons.  There were some great plays by the Dons, including a solid roof by Rachel Cox and Dani Grobeck at 2-1, another service ace by Cox at 7-6, and a crushing kill by Amanda Jarquin at 10-17.  But from that point it was almost all Mats as they cruised to a quick win.

Final Score Set 3:  12-25 Mats.

 Set 4:  The Dons were down 2 sets to 1 at this point and needed to win here to stay alive – both in this match and in the running to make the NCS Playoffs.  They were up against it and needed to rise up to the challenge.  Sensing a need for fresh players, Coach Steve Siegmann made some strategic personnel moves and they began to rejuvenate the team after set three’s flat play.  The first few points were traded back and forth with routine play, but at 2-1 Amanda Jarquin began what was to be one of the best serving displays of the season.  She took her running jump-serve approach and the ball whistled over the net, clearing it by inches and could not be handled by the Mats’ back row – Ace!  Next point, Lila Schoenfield stepped up to contribute with a message-sending tomahawk-chop of kill at the middle (excellent set by Jojo Harnish to make that happen).  The Mats came back with a couple points, but at 4-3 a long rally with hitting and digging galore ensued, and to end it Harnish dug up a screaming kill by the Mats, Rachel Cox got to it, and her soft but powerful hands put up a long set to the outside post where Tyanna Roy was coming in like a freight train to meet it. Her timing was perfect and she nearly burst the ball with the blow she put on it.  There was zero chance of that kill being dug.  On the very next point, an identical rally took place, and just like the previous one it ended with Cox, once again, putting up a great set to Roy who put it down for the kill.  The raucous fans were pretty much screaming at this point, with the Dons showing such intensity and execution under pressure.  Each point was becoming a highlight as both teams were playing at a high level – big kills were followed by huge digs that were in turn rocketed back only to be dug up again, and each time the fans erupted thinking each play was a rally-ender.  So it only follows that on the very next point (5-3) Marie Teichman, playing at the outside front row, took a Harnish set and not only cut the ball to get past the four outstretched Mats’ arms, but totally crushed it as well.  Huge screams and whistles from the stands.  The screams had barely receded when they actually upped in volume when on the next point Teichman rotated to serve and put down an untouched ace.  Routine, but very intense points followed for both teams, and at 11-9 it was Jarquin again putting on a show as she creamed a Harnish opposite set.  The point differential stayed within a point or two as both teams were playing at their best, but Lila Schoenfield brought the pain to a Harnish 1-set in the middle as she tomahawked it straight down to the Mats’ six-foot line.  A little separation was happening with the Dons going up by three and at 14-11 Harnish ended a 5-over rally by floating a set to the outside where Roy again punished it for the score.  At 16-13 it was Teichman rotating up again to serve.  This really is her specialty, and she smoked one over the net, barely clearing it, which the Mats back row had trouble handling.  The pass was overshot, and Kendall Baker was there to meet it.  She went up, wisely showed restraint by not swinging too hard, and put a power dink to the open spot on the Mats floor — great court vision.  Teichman again with the serve – ACE!  While Teichman was showing huge skill in serving, the serving in general was really one of the biggest elements in the Dons great showing thus far.  NO serves had been long and only two or three into the net.  So of course at 20-15 it was Rachel Cox serving, and you guessed it – ACE!  The intensity never let up, even up by five with five to go.  At 21-16 it was Harnish-to-Baker again at the middle, blowing by the solo Mats block and down to the Mats’ floor.  The Dons rhythm was rolling and on the next point Harnish received the pass on the opposite side, powerfully shot a cross-court pass (that seemed to float forever) to the outside post where Jarquin approached with a solid head of steam, launched herself up and brought the hammer down for the kill.  But the Dons were not there yet – still plenty of veebs left to go in this set.  It was Roy’s serve and she delivered big-time.  First serve: ACE.  Second serve: ACE.  Third serve: take a guess… ACE.  Biggest noise level since I’ve been at these volleyball matches at Acalanes.  Game point now – Roy’s serve is successfully received by the Mats, and they had no intention of going quietly.  They brought some pain of their own and ran off four straight points with the Dons sitting on game point.  That is big.  Here’s where some excellent coaching comes into play.  Sensing the big moment and the intensity that goes with it, Coach Siegmann calls a time out.  The score is 24-21 and the Mats are on a 4-point roll.  The time out breaks and the teams assemble.  The ref whistles for the play to start as the Mats’ server sets herself and it becomes dead quiet.  This is the fifth straight game-point serve for the Mats to face.  The ball is struck – maybe a touch too hard – it’s heading right for Amanda Jarquin; Megan Dalziel screams “OUT” and Jarquin ducks out of the way at the last possible moment as the ball lands a foot beyond the line and is called out.  Dons take the set.

Final Score Set 4:  25-21 Dons

 Set 5:  So here it is – the fifth and final set in this win-or-bust match for the Dons.  The match comes down to this 15-point game.  Harnish begins the set at serve and with her patented no-spin-with-plenty-of-pace offering, the Mats cannot handle it.  1-0 Dons.  Second point, another strong serve, and a free ball comes back to the Dons.  Harnish takes the perfect pass from Alex Ligouri, puts up a tasty outside set and Jarquin blows it by the block and down to the floor.  But the Mats come back with a couple of their own, and at 4-2 Jarquin rotates to serve.  Guess what – ACE!  Crowd goes insane as the Mats call a time out.  Next point Jarquin runs up and delivers another great jump-serve that the Mats over-pass and Tyanna Roy mashes for the point.  Next point – the Mats get a solid pass up, a great set, their big outside hitter comes barreling in for the kill, and as hard as she hits it, it hits the roof set up by Lila Schoenfield and Rachel Cox and ultimately the Mats floor for the Dons score.  At 7-3 the same thing develops, but it’s Roy who builds up the solo roof for the rejection.  The following point sees Roy yet again zeroing in on one of Harnish’s outside sets and drills it for the kill.  Dons are officially rolling at this point.  Because next it’s Roy and Schoenfield combining for denial of a Mats kill attempt, making it 9-3 Dons.  Time out taken by the Mats.  Marie Teichman had been serving on these last several points, and as the teams came out of the time out she confidently took the ball to serve it up again.  BAM – an ace.  Next point – BAM, another ace.  It’s 11-3 and the walls are shaking from the crowd’s roaring.  The Mats handled the next serve but their kill was dug up by Megan Dalziel.  Harnish ran to get the set up, and it went up to the middle.  Unfortunately there were six Miramonte arms waiting to block the kill attempt.  But with three people on the block, there will be someplace left uncovered – and Kendall “court vision” Baker saw it as she oh-so-deftly pushed the ball over to the right and past the block where it fell untouched to make the score 12-3.  The next few points were traded back and forth until at 13-4 Rachel Cox, once again stepping up with the great serves, put an ace past the Mats’ back row and into the extreme right corner to bring on match point.  But the next couple points go to the Mats and its now 14-6.  The serve comes over from the Mats, it’s passed up nicely by Josie Mueller, Harnish takes the pass and puts up a fine set to the hugely reliable Tyanna Roy at the outside post.  Roy takes a vicious swing and the double-block by the Mats gets part of the ball.  It ricochets to the blocker’s left, bounces once right on top of the tape, and with a ton of spin comes down again on top of the net for a tape-crawler.  It’s up there traveling on top of the net heading toward Rossmoor with players on both sides waiting for it to come down.  But by the time it rolls off the Dons’ side of the net it’s gone too far and lands harmlessly out of bounds next to the ref’s stand.  Game over; set over; match over.  This was not a match to have missed.

Final Score Set 5:  15-6 Dons

Dons take the match 3 sets to 2.

 Highlight Statistics:

Tyanna Roy:                  4 Assists, 5 Blocks, 11 Digs, 4 Aces

Jojo Harnish:                 39 Assists, 2 Blocks

Marie Teichman:            4 Aces

Rachel Cox:                  4 Aces

Brooke Aiello:                7 Kills, 3 Digs

Kendall Baker:               6 Kills, 2 Blocks

Amanda Jarquin:            6 Kills, 2 Aces

 Submitted by Brian Aiello

In yesterdays action…
The girls varsity volleyball team was involved in a thriller with Miramonte HS.  They won the first game, only to lose the next two.  Down 2 games to 1, they squeezed out a victory in game 4, and crushed the Mats 15-5 in the fifth and deciding game.  Tyanna Roy had 17 kills, 11 digs and 5 blocks.  Brooke Aiello had 7 kills.  Joanna Harnish had 39 assists and 2 blocks.

In todays action…
The NCS water polo playoffs begin as the #3 seeded girls team hosts #14 San Rafael HS at 4:30.

R. Takahashi

The Acalanes freshman girls volleyball team took home the first place trophy at the St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School volleyball tournament.  Losing only one match all day, the Lady Dons showed consistent strength, ability and teamwork as they moved through pool play, match play and into the finals.   Well-deserved recognition was given to Ying Stroebe and Taylor Odom, who were named Players of the Tournament.  The Lady Dons next take on Miramonte at AHS on November 1.

Lucy Amaral

Set 1:  The Dons were visiting the Alhambra Bulldogs and things got underway with the Bulldogs opening up a 2-point lead. But the Dons came around and tied the score at 3-3.  The serving game was very good and at 4-3 (Dons score listed first) Lila Schoenfield served up the first ace of the game. The scoring stayed close and at 8-6 it was Alex Ligouri’s turn to tally a service ace.  She was serving a string of points and another ace came at 11-6.  But the Bulldogs eventually tied the score at 16 and slowly built some separation to with the first set.

Final Score Set 1:  21-25 Bulldogs.

Set 2:  In this second set, a new group of players came in to start.  At 2-4 Rachel Cox delivered a kill in the middle, then went to serve and on the next point she served up an ace.  At 5-5 it was Kendall Baker in the middle with a big hit, and at 7-7 Jojo Harnish pushed a long set across the court to Lisa Carrington who put it away with her first kill of the game.  Three points later, at 10-7 Carrington went up on the block and stuffed the Bulldogs kill attempt.  But that was about it for the Dons as the Bulldogs began a series of long point runs.

Final Score Set 2:  16-25 Bulldogs.

Set 3:  The Dons were up against it now, being down two sets to none.  One more loss would mean the match.  But Carrington and Dani Grobeck were up to the task early, dominating at the offensive net with several big kills each.  The team was playing with rhythm and confidence, serves were consistently going in, and the Dons were consistently scoring.  Not with big, highlight play but with good basics that kept rallies going in which the Bulldogs’ deficiencies would be exposed.  Dons scoring was in bunches and at 17-7 Josie Mueller sent an ace over, and at 19-7 Rachel Cox punished an overpass from Alhambra and sent it straight to the floor.  20-7 saw yet another ace by Julia Amaral, and then at 22-9 she got to a tough pass and put up a great set for Tyanna Roy to mash.

Final Score Set 3:  25-11 Dons

Set 4:  The Dons were really playing well in this fourth set and at 2-1 Tyanna put the roof over an Alhambra kill attempt.  At 6-4 Rachel Cox went up to hit a tight middle set.  She could see that it was well-covered by the Bulldogs and instead decided to deftly push the ball to the side where it fell untouched for a Dons score.  With the score 9-9 Tyanna sent a serve over to the Bulldogs who let it go thinking it would go out of bounds.  Instead it landed in extreme back corner for another score.  Lisa Carrington came up with kills at 9-9 and 13-9, the last one being on a broken play that Megan Dalziel got to and put up a great set for Carrington to kill.  The Dons were showing quality volleyball play at this point, and the scoring was going their way.  At 16-11 Dani Grobeck roofed up the middle kill attempt by Alhambra, then went to serve and promptly put an ace down.  At 22-14 Kendall Baker showed some setting skills on a quick set to Tyanna Roy for a big kill.  With Grobeck still serving she delivered yet another ace to make the score 23-14.

Final Score Set 4:  25-14 Dons

Set 5:  So here it is – the fifth and final set in the 5-set format.  Score goes to 15, and the winner here wins the match.  It was very intense.  The Bulldogs, having won the first two sets, must have been confident they would prevail in the match since the Dons would have to take three sets in a row.  And the Dons had their backs up against the wall – a defeat here meant the match.  First point went to the Dons on a routine play.  But on the next point the front row of Carrington, Cox, and Grobeck got together on a 3-way block on a middle kill attempt by Alhambra and completely stuffed it to make the score 2-0.  There was zero chance of the ball getting through the six outstretched arms of the front line.  But the game was very close and the gym was loud with fans screaming for both sides’ excellent play.  At 12-10 the set went to Carrington at the outside post, but it was tight and pretty far outside.  She went up, contorted her body and put a great cut shot with good pace on it past the block and almost parallel to the net to hit the Bulldogs floor.  The Dons crowd erupted at that point.  But as loud as that cheering was, it did not compare to the cheering on this next point.  The serve from the Dons was passed perfectly by the Alhambra DS to the setter.  Set goes up and it was crushed by the Bulldogs outside hitter.  But then Josie Mueller, who had been skillfully passing, lunged to make contact and get the ball up.  It was headed toward the Acalanes bench, and as the players standing there parted Julia Amaral took a desperation dive toward the ball, uppercut with her right fist and the ball miraculously got over the net for a Dons score.  Since the game only goes to 15, it was a huge point making the score 13-10.  The ‘Dogs rallied for a three points tying the score at 13 and the place was rocking.  On the next point, Carrington decided to repeat her cut-shot skill and sent another one to the Alhambra floor for a 14-13 score.  This truly exciting set came to an end on a Bulldogs effort at a kill that went out.

Final Score Set 5:  15-13 Dons

Dons take the match 3 sets to 2.

Brian Aiello

The Acalanes Freshman girls volleyball team continued its winning streak Tuesday, defeating Alhambra in two, 25-23, 25-18.  The Lady Bulldogs may have earned the first point, but that would be the first and last time they lead the match.  Alta Paladino made clear the Dons came to win by firing in two aces with her first two serves. A nice service run by Jillian Wickline, including some screaming aces, expanded their lead.  Accurately reading their opponents, tips were effectively placed by Lily Bauer, Janine Jaber and Wickline.  Kills by Taylor Odom, Sarah Moore, and Wickline off sets by Holly Fleischmann left no doubt of the Dons intentions.  Back row defense with Ying Stroebe, Claire Amaral and Dory Grobeck, kept any return from aiding Alhambra’s score.  Alhambra would not roll over, however, and the Lady Bulldogs eventually brought the score within one point of tying the Dons.  With some exciting extended rallies, the two teams continued to trade points, eventually allowing the only tie of the day at 23-23.  A sideout to the Dons and a final serve by Jaber brought the first game to a close, 25-23.

Game two showed the breadth of talent offered by the Lady Dons.  Service was strong throughout the match with aces from Dana Piercy, Holly Gillar, Odom and Grobeck.  Points were added to the scoreboard with tips by Grobeck, Gillar and Piercy, and kills by Katie McCarty, Odom, Piercy, Moore and Gillar.  Points were denied to the opposing team with massive blocks by Gillar and Odom, and diving pancake saves by Stroebe.  Acalanes held the lead the entire game and Moore fired in the last five serves to end the set and match, 25-18.  Next, the Dons meet Miramonte at home on Tuesday, November 1.

Lucy Amaral

In yesterdays action…
The girls volleyball team found themselves down 2 games to none to Alhambra HS, when they mounted a furious comeback to win in five games, with a clutch 15-13 win in game five.  Julia Amaral was the sparkplug that helped to ignite the rally.  The jv team split to force a third game, where they overcame a 14-10 deficit to win 16-14.  Molly Dalziel finished the third game with an exclamation mark, by driving home the final kill.  The freshman team made it look easy winning in two games.

The girls tennis team was defeated by Miramonte HS.

In Mondays action…
The girls golf team finished 8^th at the NCS Southern Qualifier to advance as a team to Monday’s NCS Championships.

In todays action…
The DFAL water polo season comes to an end tonight as they play at Miramonte HS.  The boys game will feature the only undefeated teams in the DFAL, and will determine this year’s league champion.  JV girls at 4:00, varsity girls at 5:00, varsity boys at 6:00, jv boys at 7:00.

The cross country team competes in the DFAL Center Meet at Shadow Cliffs Park at 3:30.

Individual standouts…
Girls volleyball – Lisa Carrington had 8 kills and 7 digs, Rachel Cox had 8 kills and 2 aces, and Danielle Grobeck had 4 kills, 4 blocks, and 3 aces.
Girls golf – Elizabeth Schultz shot a 74 to tie for 2^nd overall at the NCS Southern Qualifier.  Lauren Kim shot 88, and Adrienne Lee 93.
Girls tennis – Tessa Karagocev won her singles match.

R. Takahashi

The Dons and the Wildcats faced off on Wednesday, October 20th, in honor of supporting a cure for breast cancer. After the Acalanes freshman and junior varsity teams handily beat their Dougherty Valley opponents, the pressure was on for varsity to maintain the momentum.

Each of the teams sported pink t-shirts with phrases such as “cancer sucks”, “dig for a cure”, and “fight like a girl” to show their support and team spirit . Prior to the game, head coach Steve Siegmann gave a heart warming speech and took a moment to give respect to breast cancer victims, patients, and survivors and encourage the spectators to make donations at the door. The first game began but the Lady Dons quickly fell behind by five points start and Dougherty Valley continued to play strong through the first game. Despite numerous kills by senior Tianna Roy and a few spot-on passes from junior Brooke Aiello, the Dons could not pull through. The first game finished with a score of 15 to 25 in the Wildcats favor, leaving Acalanes players and spectators dazed and confused.

Disappointed by the first game, the girls were sure they could play better and show their true potential. Although determined, the Lady Dons failed to come out strong and remained two points or more behind the Wildcats until the end of game two. The Wildcats only needed one point to win but the Dons weren’t going to give up so quickly. They showed their heart and desire for victory with a six point comeback win. Junior Lisa Carrington and senior Lila Schoenfield scored the last two points with game winning kills putting overall score at one to one.

After securing a win the team appeared to relax which caused them to produce several unforced errors in the two games to come. Siegmann reported that of the one hundred points that Dougherty Valley scored overall, more than seventy of them were errors made by Acalanes. The Dons could not pull through in the final two games and lost the match with Dougherty Valley 3 and Acalanes 1.

“I am really disappointed that we couldn’t get it together and play like I know we can….I think we all had good moments but I think that we couldn’t put it together,” said Carrington. The loss against Dougherty Valley severely lessens the Lady Dons chances of making it to NCS.
“I think that we as a team didn’t connect at all. It was really disappointing that we didn’t win because now in order for us to win in NCS we have to win our upcoming games against Campo and Miramonte which are both going to be very hard teams,” said Aiello.

Natalie Goepel

Acalanes Freshman Volleyball Team continued their winning streak Tuesday, again beating Las Lomas in two sets 25-15, 25-18.   While Acalanes lost the first point of the set, they regained the lead quickly and never let it go again.  Service aces from Taylor Odom, Jililan Wickline and a nice service run (five of which were aces) from Sarah Moore left no doubt the Lady Dons had come to win.  Kills were provided by Holly Gillar, Odom and Moore, off assists by Holly Fleischmann, while defense led by Ying Stroebe and aided by Claire Amaral denied many attempts at scoring by the Knights.  At 24-15, a sweet tip by Lily Bauer ended the match.  Dons win 25-15.

Never letting up, the Don pushed forward during the second set with Odom and Stroebe offering service runs.  This game, however, was about strength, strategy and a bit of scramble-ball.  Dory Grobeck ran the court with carefully placed sets put nicely in line for Dana Piercy, Katie McCarty and Janine Jaber to slam kills, while Stroebe’s defense let nothing pass…including a pachinko-machine-like-off-the-ceiling-beams return for a Dons point.  At 23-18, Coach Bryan Mall’s intensive training proved effective with a round of scramble ball off the net.  The Dons kept their cool, keeping the ball in play and getting the point.  Moore fired one in for the final match closer.   Dons win 25-18.  The Dons meet Campolindo again, this time at Campo, on Tuesday, October 18.

Lucy Amaral

The Lady Dons traveled to Dublin Tuesday to take on the Lady Gaels, besting them in three sets, 25-10, 24-26, 15-7.  The first set was owned by Acalanes.  Service runs from Alta Paladino and Sarah Moore, along with aces from Lily Bauer and a screaming bullet from Holly Gillar kept the higher score consistently on the Dons side.  When the ball was actually returned, kills from Taylor Odom and Gillar, off assists from Dory Grobeck, silenced the opponents.  Defense remained strong led by Ying Stroebe, who had nice back row shots, as well as a scrambling save by Claire Amaral, to deny the Gaels extra points.  The final two points by Groebek, one of which was an ace, ended the first match.

The second match showed promise with the Dons taking the first point and keeping the lead for the next four.  However the Lady Gaels stood strong, taking the lead from that point and, while each team traded points throughout the match, Acalanes never regained the advantage.  Kills were logged by Moore and Katie McCarty, service aces were from Jillian Wickline and Odom, and nice defensive tips by Janine Jaber and Amaral showed impressive effort.  Stroebe’s jump serves brought the match to 23-23 but wasn’t enough to push the game toward the Dons.  Dublin wins 26-24.

Game three belongs exclusively to the Dons.  Service runs by Paladino, Bauer, and Odom quickly moved the game forward.  Kills by Bauer and Moore added to the score.  A final service ace by Holly Fleischmann ended the set and match 15-7.

Lucy Amaral

Set 1:  Basic scoring on both sides was how this match began, but that all changed when Jojo Harnish went up high to roof up the Gaels’ outside hitter.  The Gaels dug up her block and reset for another kill attempt that Harnishagain blocked.  This time it went to the floor for a Dons score.  The defense stayed in high gear when at

6-4 (Dons’ score listed first) Dani Grobeck stuffed a middle-kill attempt by the Gaels.  It was Grobeck again at 7-5 when Harnish put up a sweet back 1-set that beat the block and Grobeck crushed.  At 13-8 Amanda Jarquin hustled to get a ball up, Harnish chased it down and put up a set back to Jarquin.  The set came from behind Jarquin (a very difficult set to get a solid kill on) but Jarquin did just that for a Dons score.  At 15-9 Jarquin showed versatility when she pounded down a middle 1-set.  With the Dons in solid command at 17-10, the ball was served by the Gaels and as soon as our first pass went up Grobeck shouted “One!  One!”  Harnish obliged with the low 1-set and Grobeck slammed it for a dramatic kill.  At 22-15, it was Brooke Aiello showing some timing skill as a pass went far to the opposite (front right) corner.  Harnish got to it, launched a big arcing set to the outside (front left corner).  It seemed to take a few seconds for the ball to get there, but Aiello met it at just the right time and brought the hammer down on it.
Final Score Set 1:  25-15 Dons.

Set 2:  A different set of players came in for this second set, and the scoring was going the Gaels’ way.  But at 5-9

things began to change when Lisa Carrington got the set to the outside post, went up and decided that since there was a wall of Gael arms ready to block the tight set, changed from a kill-swing to a power-dink to an open spot on the Gaels’ court.  Great court vision!  Three points later at 8-9 Carrington didn’t change her mind on a beautiful set by Harnish and sent the kill to the ground.  The game was very close with scoring going back and forth; a dramatic mood was setting up.  At 9-10 Dons defense made a big presence with Harnish and Kendall Baker going up and over the net to completely stuff the Gaels’ big-hitting Tiffany Harris (quick note: Harris was the CC Times’ “Athlete of the Week” a few weeks ago).  Still very close at 11-11 when Harnish made the first pass and was not able to set.  Jarquin put up a great set to the back row and Tyanna Roy crushed it from the 10-foot line.  Both teams were playing well but it was the Gaels that were edging away.  That was stopped when at 12-14 Harnish put up another sweet backset to the opposite post and Jarquin smacked it down.  At 15-16 It was Grobeck’s turn to show some versatility as the took a Harnish pass and bump-set it to Carrington at the outside.  Carrington seemed to just hang in the air until she tomahawked the ball to the Gaels’ floor.  The Dons were now making headway in the scoring and at 22-21 Roy went up to absolutely crush an over-pass by the Gaels.  Still very close at 23-23 Harnish got a pass that was right up against the net – too close to set without a net violation.  She deftly re-directed the path of the ball over the net to drop untouched to the Gaels’ side.   That brought the score to 24-23 and set point.  It ended with an exclamation point in the form of a high outside set to Carrington who pounded it down for the game-ender.

Final Score Set 2:  25-23 Dons.

Set 3:  With the Dons up 2-0 in sets, they could have let down a bit.  But they didn’t.  They came out strong and determined and at 5-1 Marie Teichman went up and stuffed a Tiffany Harris kill attempt.  Then on the next point it was Teichman again drilling a set for another Dons score.  At 7-5, a vocal Rachel Cox called for the set and Harnish gave it to her in the middle.  Coxhammered it for a Dons point.

The game was pretty close at 12-10 when Aiello took an outside set and brought the pain with an untouched kill.  On the next point it was Cox again, this time showing her focus by anticipating a dump attempt by the Gaels setter.  She was right on top of it and the ball never made it over the net as Cox put it back down to the floor.  15-12 saw the longest rally of the match with both sides showing great digging skills.  But it was Alex Ligouri that was in perfect position to get a hard-driven ball by the Gaels up to Harnish who then put up a tasty backset to Teichman.  Teichman didn’t waste that set and sent it to the floor.  This set remained close with both sided trading points, but the Dons prevailed by two.

Final Score Set 3:  25-23 Dons

Match goes to the Dons 3 sets – 0

Submitted by Brian Aiello

The Acalanes Freshman Girls Volleyball Team blew through the competition Saturday, taking third overall at the Northgate Freshman Volleyball Invitational. During the morning pool at Ygnacio Valley High School, the Lady Dons defeated Ygnacio Valley and Berkeley before facing Carondelet.  Fairly well matched, Carondelet and Acalanes each took one game, and the third game, which only goes to 15, threatened to go to the Cougars.  At 4-14, Lily Bauer showed incredible poise as she calmly served ten in a row to even the score.  The Dons finished out the set 17-15 to take first place in the morning pool.  During a crossover match, which could have eliminated the Dons right there, Acalanes kept the pressure on, defeating Cardinal Newman to move on to the final rounds.

Moving to Northgate for the Gold Division, Acalanes continued to shine with a decisive win over hosting school Northgate in the quarter finals, finally falling to Monte Vista in three in the Semi Finals.  Acalanes takes on Dublin at Dublin Tuesday, October 11.

L. Amaral

The Lady Dons continued their victory march, beating Miramonte’s Freshman Girls volleyball team in two sets, 25-13, 25-18.  The first set started with a nice service run by Sarah Moore including a smashing ace to get the Lady Mats attention.  Aces were also offered up from Dana Piercy, Taylor Odom, Dory Grobeck and Janine Jaber.  Kills by Holly Gillar, Odom and Moore denied any return possibilities, while artfully placed tips from Odom, Grobeck and Claire Amaral added key points to the score.  Scoring efforts from the Mats was an exercise in frustration, as any serve over was quickly passed by Ying Stroebe to Grobeck’s set and more times than not, it was a Don’s point.  A five point service run, including several aces, compliments of Grobeck, brought the score to 23-12. Don’s got the sideout at 24-12, and after a rare point loss, took the set 25-13.

Set two saw the Lady Mats earn the first point.  But never again would they be leading on the scoreboard.  Acalanes played consistently strong, controlling the game with strong defense, skilled setting and well placed kills, tips and blocks.  Kills from Katie McCarty, Jillian Wickline, Odom, Piercy, and a nice back-row kill from Stroebe, kept the Dons on top.  Service aces were offered up from Lily Bauer, Odom and Wickline, and if the ball did get returned, tips from Wickline, Bauer and McCarty as well as a nice save by Wickline stopped any hope of the opponent scoring.  The final point of the game came with a nice pass to Amaral then a quick set to Holly Fleischmann for the final kill.  Final score:  Acalanes 25, Miramonte 18.

Lucy Amaral

In Thursdays action…

The football team was defeated by Campolindo HS.  The jv team was defeated also.
The girls volleyball team was defeated by Miramonte HS.  The jv and freshman teams were victorious.
The girls golf team was defeated by by Miramonte HS.

In Fridays action…

The boys water polo team competes in the Southern California Invitational in Irvine.

In Saturdays action…

The cross country team competes in the Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park in Fresno at 9:00 am.
The non-varsity cross country team competes in the Crystal Springs Invitational at Crystal Springs Reservoir in San Mateo at 9:00 am.
The boys water polo team competes in the Southern California Invitational in Irvine.
The jv girls volleyball team competes in the Wolverine Invitational at Deer Valley HS.
The freshman girls volleyball team competes in the Northgate tournament.
The frosh-soph girls water polo team competes in the Alhambra tournament.

Photo courtesy L. Amaral

Set 1:  A very tough start in this first set as the Mats began with a 10-0 run against the Dons.  A service error by the Mats enabled the Dons to begin their scoring and they answered with a 4-point run themselves, which included a service ace by Tyanna Roy.  Even scoring on both sided until at 6-13 (Dons’ score listed first) Jojo Harnish put up a nice backset to the opposite post that Amanda Jarquin crushed for a solid kill.  Then at 7-15 it was Harnish again getting to a pass near the front right corner, and launching a big set across the court to Brooke Aiello at the outside, who put it down.  The Mats kept up the steady scoring and prevented the Dons from making up ground.  At 9-21 though, Roy woke the gym up with a booming kill from the outside.

Final Score Set 1:  9-25 Mats.

Set 2:  This second set began in a positive way for the Dons and with the score tied at 4-4 Aiello and Lila Schoenfield combined on a solid roofing  of the Mats’ outside hitter to make the score 5-4.  Even scoring that included an ace by Aiello at 8-8 and a Roy kill on an outstanding hustle play by Harnish to get the set up for her.  At 11-11 Kendall Baker got into the action and showed great court vision with a well-placed power dink to an open spot on the Mats’ side.  Slowly the Mats began to gain some separation, but at 13-18 Jarquin took on the Mats’ outside hitter and promptly stuffed her matadorian kill attempt.  At 16-19 Schoenfield came up big at the middle block as she roofed up the Mats’ middle hitter.  The Dons never could quite keep pace with the Mats, though.

Final Score Set 2:  19-25 Mats.

Set 3:  Set 3 began much like set 2 in that the Dons took an early lead.  With the score 3-1 Roy continued to blast away with an outside kill.  On the next point, Rachel Cox her skills by receiving a pass from the setter, and instead of attempting to set the close-to-the-net pass she deftly dumped it all the way to the Mats’ back row where nobody was home.  The Mats began to catch up, though, an at 7-7 Schoenfield brought the scoring back to the Dons’ side with a great wrap-around kill that beat the Mats’ block.  Things stayed very close throughout the set but once again the Mats were getting just a few more points than the Dons.  With the score 17-21 Marie Teichman showed her outstanding serve skill as she sent an ace over to the Mats’ side.  Then on the next play Teichman made the score 18-21 by smacking a backrow kill.

Final Score Set 3:  20-25

Brian Aiello

Stats:

Roy:  6 kills

Aiello:  7 kills  2 aces

Liguori:  9 digs  2 aces

Schoenfield:  5 kills

Cox:  3 kills

Baker:  4 kills

Stats:

Photo courtesy M. Klinkenberg

Set 1: The first set started out well for the Dons when at 2-0 (Dons’ score listed first) Jojo Harnish put up a very nice middle set that was hammered down by Kendall Baker. Tyanna Roy followed up the next point with an ace on her serve. But then the Minutemen made a comeback and with the score 6-8 Brooke Aiello put down a hard kill from the outside post. At 7-9 Lila Schoenfield got into the action with a convincing middle kill. Amanda Jarquin began what was to be a big night from the backrow with a backrow spike that landed untouched on the Minutemen floor. Harnish (who had an incredible night of serving) started off a 5-point service run with a short-serve ace. The score stood at 15-10 when she finally served into the net. Her serves were on, and between hard floaters and soft droppers, she kept the Minutemen receivers completely off-balance. But once again, Concord roared back with several unanswered points and it was not until 19-23 that Jarquin had yet another backrow kill. Points were traded and then at 21-23 Roy smacked a kill from the outside. At 23-24 Baker went up against a tight Concord blocking duo, and wisely chose to push a power-dink to the side of their floor. The game was tightly scored at 24-24 but the Minutemen got the final two points to end the first set.
Final Score Set 1: 24-26 Minutemen.

Set 2: Whatever words coach Steve Siegmann had for the girls at the end of the first set really had an effect. The Dons came out with Jojo Harnish again showing huge serving skills as she opened up with two aces. The Dons just looked different – more hustle, and more urgency – and it was plainly evident they were fired up. Excellent overall play brought the score to 5-2 and Kendall Baker once again relied on the power dink to deftly place the ball in no-man’s land. This was followed up by Lila Schoenfield’s power-dink to the same spot at 7-5. On the next point, Brooke Aiello took a Harnish set straight to the Concord floor to make it 8-5. Then again on the next point, Amanda Jarquin once again brought the big swing from the backrow to make it 9-5. The Dons really were on a roll and they looked very tough to beat. At 12-7 it was Aiello again, this time from the backrow to deliver a kill. At 15-8 a controversial play happened when Baker went up on a block and got a partial touch on the ball. She came back down a little awkwardly, going to a knee, and the ball followed her and bounced up off of her head. Seeing the ball still in the air Megan Dalziel showed big time hustle, got to it and popped it up. Aiello then got to it and sent it over the net. The play was whistled dead on the grounds of four hits by the Dons. The argument came from the Dons that the first touch off the block by Baker should not have counted, therefore the first hit was the head-bounce. Second hit was Dalziel, and Aiello sent it over on the third hit. The time taken for this argument to settle (which was settled by a re-play of the point) was at least four minutes. Finally, the Dons got the ball to re-serve the point, and the ball was promptly served into the net. The volleyball gods were looking friendly upon the Minutement on that one. Nevertheless, the Dons continued to dominate this set until at 24-12 Jarquin sent over a rocket of a serve that could not be handled by Concord.
Final Score Set 2: 25-12 Dons.

Set 3: The Dons remained on a roll here in set three, with overall good volleyball fundamentals. The first big play came when Lila Schoenfield when up high on a solo middle block and completely stuffed the middle kill attempt from Concord. Amanda Jarquin began a 6-point service run that included a booming outside kill from Brooke Aiello at 12-4, a beautiful cross-court set from Jojo Harnish that Tyanna Roy punished to make the score 14-4 and Schoenfield delivering a big middle kill at 15-5. Harnish served out the final eight straight points with serves that had the Minutemen completely off-balance.
Final Score Set 3: 25-7

Set 4: The Dons were definitely rolling, but the Minutemen were definitely not rolling over. Rachel Cox caught everyone’s attention by calling for the set and Julia Amaral delivered a beauty. Cox put it down quickly to make the score 2-1. At 4-2 Marie Teichman hit a great cut-shot that found open space on the Concord side. Brooke Aiello began her own service run as she served six straight that included two aces. At 15-8, it was Harnish again with the serving prowess as she dropped a floater barely over the net and untouched to the floor. At 17-13 it was Amaral and Cox again teaming up in the middle of the court as Cox brought the pain with a hammering blow to a low middle set from Amaral. At 21-17 Amaral showed some court awareness as she deftly dumped a pass to the Minutemen floor. On the final point of the match, it was Megan Dalziel again showing super hustle diving to make a great dig on a Concord kill attempt, extending the rally, and the Dons ultimately winning the point.
Final Score Set 4: 25-18
Match to the Dons, 3-1

Various Stats:
Jojo Harnish: 14 Aces; 23 Assists
Tyanna Roy: 11 Kills; 12 Digs
Amanda Jarquin: 5 Kills
Lila Schoenfield: 5 Kills
Brooke Aiello: 5 Kills

Submitted by Brian Aiello

The Freshman Girls Volleyball team continued its winning streak, defeating Concord in two sets 25-13, 25-12. The Lady Minutemen may have won the first point in the first set, but that was the last time they took the lead. Early service runs by Sarah Moore, Ying Stroebe and Taylor Odom, quickly brought the score to 12-5. Kills from Moore and Odom off assists by Holly Fleischmann quickly moved the game forward. Middle Blockers Katie McCarty and Janine Jaber added the power to the front line, allowing nothing to pass. Defense, led by Stroebe and backed by Claire Amaral and Dana Piercy kept the line tight. At 24-13, Fleischmann finessed a clever tip over the top of Concord’s blockers to end the set.

Game two again saw the early service runs, quickly moving the score to 12-4. The pace slowed a bit with both teams trading points but Concord never got close. Jillian Wickline and Odom powered key kill shots to stop the Minutemen in their tracks. Service aces from Fleischmann, Moore, Odom and Holly Gillar stepped up the pace. Artfully placed tips from McCarty kept their opponents on their toes. A strong back row with Stroebe, Amaral and Lily Bauer denied any extra points for their opponents. A final kill from Odom ended the set 25-12. The Lady Dons take on Miramonte on Thursday, October 6 at Miramonte.

Lucy Amaral

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

In Thursdays action…
The girls volleyball team defeated Alhambra HS in 3 games. The JV and freshman teams were also victorious both in 2 games.
The girls tennis team was defeated by Miramonte HS.
The freshman football team defeated Miramonte HS 32-13.

In Fridays action…
The girls water polo team hosts Sir Francis Drake HS. Varsity at 4:00, JV at 5:00.
The football team plays at Miramonte HS. JV at 4:30, Varsity at 7:00.
The girls tennis team competes in the Liberty tournament.
The JV boys water polo team competes in the Jesuit tournament.

In Saturdays action…
The girls tennis team competes in the Liberty tournament.
The JV boys water polo team competes in the Jesuit tournament.
R. Takahashi

 Acalanes Freshman Girls Volleyball defeated Dougherty Valley Tuesday, winning in two sets 25-15, 25-13.

The first set showed clearly the Lady Dons came to win. Acalanes took the lead early and never gave it up. Service Aces by Taylor Odom, Holly Gillar, Holly Fleischmann, and Katie McCarty launched the offensive. Kills by Dana Piercy, Alta Paladino, Odom and Fleischmann, along with a beautiful back row kill by Ying Stroebe kept the momentum on the side of the Dons. Defense kept the Wildcats at bay with blocks by Fleischmann and a diving save by Claire Amaral. Lily Bauer‘s final floating serve ended the set 25-15.

     Dory Grobeck opened the second set with a five point service run, four of them aces. Stroebe and Sarah Moore added more aces to the points column total. Jillian Wickline, McCarty and Amaral logged kills to push the Wildcats back on their heels. Artfully placed tips by Amaral and McCarty denied their opponents any chance for return play. A final service ace by Amaral closed out the set and match 25-13.
The Freshman team takes on Alhambra at home on Thursday, September 29 at 4 p.m.

Submitted by Lucy Amaral

In yesterdays action…
The girls volleyball team defeated Dougherty Valley HS 25-13, 26-24, 25-12.  Tyanna Roy had 12 kills and 6 digs.  Brooke Aiello had 7 kills and 8 digs.  Marie Teichman had 5 kills, 3 aces and 2 digs.

In todays action…
The water polo teams host Alhambra HS.  JV girls at 4:00, Varsity girls at 5:00, Varsity boys at 6:00, JV boys at 7:00.

R. Takahashi

An excitement-filled gym with parents and students from both schools was the setting for this rivalry clash. During warmups the music was pounding, people were talking at a fast pace, and you could really feel the nervous tension building up.

The first set of the match began with some basic rallying for points by each team, but the first real roar came from the Dons side when at 2-4 (Cougars lead) Tyanna Roy was fed a perfect set by Jojo Harnish and pounded it down for a kill. At 4-5 Amanda Jarquin sent an ace serve onto the Cougars’ floor. At 6-6, Brooke Aiello, playing in the back row had to jerk herself out of the way of a Cougars serve that was out by inches. At 7-7 when she had rotated to the front row, she went up high to stuff a Cougars kill attempt. With the score at 9-9 Harnish, whose serves were excellent, sent a serve over, just barely clearing the net for an ace. The scoring was going back and forth and at 12-13 Rachel Cox put a dramatic end to a very long rally with a big kill. Aiello came up with two big point drilling the ball down at 15-20 and 17-20. Then it was Harnish again with the serve, and she ran off four straight to bring the score to 22-21 Dons lead. The scoring again was back and forth, going into overtime, but the Cougars eventually prevailed. Final score Dons 24, Cougars 26.

The second set did not go quite as well as the first, but Jarquin was the first to make a statement with a beautiful power dink past two Campo defenders for the first point. Alex Ligouri came up with an untouched ace at 4-5 and then it was Harnish with the set to Jarquin for a big kill. Next point, at 6-5 Ligouri served up another ace. Back and forth scoring with Kendall Baker coming up big at 10-11 with a crush on a 1-set by Julia Amaral. At 16-20 Lila Schoenfield and Amaral teamed up to deny a Cougar kill attempt by going up high and over the net to block the big Campo outside hitter. At that point the Cougars began a rally of points that the Dons could not overcome. Final score of set 2 was 17-25.

Set 3 was fairly basic (although very exciting) volleyball with the two teams trading points. At 11-14 and 12-14 Roy came up with a big kill and followed it with an even bigger roof job on the Campo middle-hitter. All of a sudden the game became very close and the excitement level kept creeping up. At 18-22 Kendall Baker came up with a well-placed power dink, followed on the next point by a solid block. At 20-22, Jarquin came up with a big kill on a Harnish assist. Final score of set three was 22-25 Campo.

Submitted by Brian Aiello

The Acalanes Girls Freshman Volleyball team continued their winning streak, beating Las Lomas in two sets, 25-12, 25-18. The Lady Dons will face Campolindo at AHS on Thursday, September 22.

Lucy Amaral

In yesterdays action…
The girls volleyball varsity team had a rough start to the DFAL season as they dropped the opener at Las Lomas HS.
The girls tennis team was defeated by Dougherty Valley HS.

In todays action…
The girls tennis team hosts College Park HS.

Yesterdays individual standouts…
Girls volleyball   Lisa Carrington had 4 kills, and 5 digs.
Brooke Aiello had 4 kills, and 4 digs.
Alex Ligouri had 9 digs.

R. Takahashi

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

The Lady Dons Varsity Girls Volleyball fought hard against San Ramon, but ended the match on the losing side in four, 25-22, 14-25, 17-25, 22-25.

The first match showed the Dons in fighting form.  Services aces fired across the net from Tyanna Roy, Rachel, Lila Schoenfield and Amanda Jarquin.  Huge blocks by Schoenfield, Rachel Cox, and Joanna Harnish denied the Wolverines extra points.  A number of beautiful off-the-net plays, diving saves and big digs left no doubt who would take the set.  A service ace rocket from Roy ended the game, 25-22.

Acalanes struggled to keep that momentum going.  San Ramon found its pace and kept it through the next three sets.   But the Dons would not go easily.  Slamming kills, sweet off-the-net work, pancake saves, and powerful digs, made for long rallies that belied the end score.  Kills were logged from Schoenfield, Brooke Aiello, Lisa Carrington, Danielle Grobeck, and Megan Dalziel.  Huge digs from Josie Mueller, Alex Faxel-Ligori, and Harnish helped keep the plays alive.  Marie Teichman and Grobeck blocked back countless kill attempts down the middle.  Julia Amaral worked the net, logging kill assists and catching rolling netballs.  Service aces from Kendall Baker and Jarquin moved the game forward, but at last tally, victory went to the Wolverines.

The Lady Dons go up against the best in the region at the Deer Valley Volleyball invitational held at Deer Valley, Saturday, September 10.

submitted by Lucy Amaral

The Acalanes Girls Freshman Volleyball team continued its winning streak, defeating San Ramon in two sets, 25-18, 25-19.  The Lady Dons showed strong offense with services aces from Holly Fleischmann, Taylor Odom, Jillian Wickline and Sarah Moore.  Back row defense from Ying Stroebe, kept the line strong with key saves and a beautiful back row kill.  Acalanes kept on the attack with kills from Holly Gillar and Wickline, off assists from setter Dory Grobeck.   Nicely placed tips from Janine Jaber, Grobeck and Gillar drove the game forward.  The final three serves by Moore, all aces, sealed the victory.

Game two saw Acalanes taking the lead early and never giving it back.  Service aces from Alta Paladino, Stroebe, and Fleischmann set the pace.   A nicely placed kill from Paladino, and blocks from Lily Bauer, Dana Piercy and Katie McCarty pushed the Wolverines back on their heels.  Defense remained strong with the help of Stroebe, Claire Amaral and McCarty kept San Ramon from gaining any advantage.  A service error on the part of San Ramon closed out the set.

submitted by Lucy Amaral

Acalanes Freshman Girls Volleyball team came out strong in their first official outing, defeating Heritage High School in two sets 25-15, 25-17. The first game saw both teams trading points until Holly Fleischmann’s service run, which includes several aces, expanded the teams lead.  Defense led by Libero Ying Stroebe, worked perfectly with well placed digs. Smashing kills were offered up by Sarah Moore and Alta Paladino off sets from Fleischmann while middles Janine Jaber and Katie McCarty blocked point attempts by Heritage. Service aces by Taylor Odom, McCarty and Jillian Wickline’s seven point run, including five aces, brought the Dons within one point of winning. A service error on Heritage’s part, closed out the set.

Game two started with the Dons taking the lead from the start and never letting go. Service aces from Dana Piercy, Dory Grobeck, Claire Amaral and Wickline moved the point total forward in record time. Defense kept the momentum going with Stroebe and middle blockers Lily Bauer and McCarty. A nice set from Grobeck offered up a targeted kill by Wickline, and precision tips from Stroebe and Grobeck cemented the victory for Acalanes.

The Freshman Volleyball team takes on San Ramon Thursday, September 8 at San Ramon.

submitted by Lucy Amaral

Overall, a tough start to the Varsity Girls Volleyball season, with a 3-set loss to Heritage.  The Dons never could find a solid rhythm to their game with serving, serve-receive, and general passing proving to be the top issues.  However, there were some definite highlights:

Set 1:  At 2-10 (Dons’ score listed first) Jojo Harnish hustled to get to a pass and put a beautiful backset up for Lisa Carrington to put away for a Dons’ score.  At 3-13 the two paired up again with Harnish pushing out a long cross-court set that Carrington hit down for another score.

Set 2:  At 1-0 Marie Teichman deftly put a power dink into the hole on the Heritage side.  At 3-4 Brooke Aiello delivered a kill from the backrow on a set from Julia Amaral.  Aiello and Amaral teamed up again at 6-10 with Amaral sending the set across the court to the outside and Aiello getting up on top to put it down.  At 8-15, Dani Grobeck came up high off the floor, stretched over the net and stuffed a hard-hit kill attempt by the Heritage outside hitter.  At 10-21, Meghan Dalziel displayed quickness at the outside as Amaral sent a low set to her.  Dalziel beat the block and sent the ball to the Heritage floor.

Set 3:  At 3-5 Lila Schoenfield sent a rocket of a serve over for a Dons ace, while on the next rally Amanda Jarquin saw an over-pass from Heritage come toward the net and put the hammer down for another Dons score.  Defensively, Dalziel saved a hard-hit kill attempt from Heritage by diving with an extended arm to miraculously get the ball, sending it over the net on onto the Heritage floor for a score.  At 15-23 Amaral displayed her serving skills by dropping a service ace past the Heritage team.

Final Scores:  4-25   11-25   16-25

Stats:  Kills:  Dalziel-3;  Aiello-2;  Jarquin-2.  Aces:  Schoenfield-1;  Amaral-1.

Submitted by Brian Aiello

Please click on the FORMS button ABOVE to fill out and submit athletic clearance forms through the Acalanes High School District website. The website will direct you through the entire process.
• You must print the Athletic Clearance Form.
• You must print one Online Registration Sports Summary Page for each sport of participation.
• Note: If this is the second or third sport, only the Online Registration Sports Summary Page must be submitted.

Game One:      Dons 26  Gaels 24

Game Two:     Dons 25  Gaels 13

Game Three:   Dons 26  Gaels 28

Game Four:     Dons 25  Gaels 16

In game one, the Lady Dons and Lady Gaels traded points throughout the match with the Dons victorious with consistent serving, blocking and hitting by Natalie Chan and Lisa Carrington.

Game two brought much the same until Lisa Carrington’s serving took off and the Dons pulled ahead.  Hitters Tyanna Roy and Brooke Aiello contributed to the win with several kills.

Game three saw the Gaels leading until Gabby Gaubert’s serving brought the Dons back to a slight lead.  Hitting contributions from Amanda Jarquin and Natalie Chan kept the Dons in the game with Marie Teichman’s service aces but the Dons fell by two to finish the game 26-28 Gaels.

In the fourth game, the Don’s dominated and with consistent serves and kills from the entire court, the Lady Don’s prevailed 25 to 16 to finish the match.

J. Aiello

Oct 26 Acalanes defeats Dougherty

JV Girls Volleyball beat Dougherty Valley 25-21, 18-25, 15-8.  Services aces from Sarah Rogers, Sophia Takashima, Danielle Grobeck, Julia Amaral, Joanna Harnish and Rachael Cox.  Kills from Rogers, Grobeck, Takashima, Cox and Blair Howard.  Saves by Cox and Josie Mueller.

L. Amaral

Oct 26 - Acalanes beats Dougherty (JV)

Acalanes J.V. Girls Volleyball Beats Alhambra 25-22, 25-20.  Service aces:  Danielle Grobeck, Rachael Cox and Julia Amaral, Amy Thomas and Josie Mueller.  Kills:  Sarah Rogers, Cox, Thomas, Sophia Takashima, Blair Howard, Natalie Goepel.  Tips/Blocks:  Grobeck, Amaral. 

L. Amaral

 Acalanes JV Girls Volleyball sent Campolindo packing Tuesday, defeating the Cougars 25-12, 16-25, 15-13.  In game one, the Lady Dons took the lead right from the first point and never gave it up.  Service aces from Rachael Cox, Joanna Harnish, Danielle Grobeck, and Julia Amaral pounded the opposing side while kills from Sarah Rogers, Cox, Amy Thomas, and Grobeck pushed the Cougars back on their heels.  Nothing got past the Dons defense with Josie Mueller, Natalie Goepel and Rogers holding a tight back line.  Harnish made extra effort look effortless with a beautiful pancake save keeping the point alive…and eventually won.  Front line blocks from Thomas, Cox and Grobeck left not doubt who would win.  Three final serves from Amaral, the last two aces, sealed the deal.
The Cougars would not, however, go quietly into that good night.  They threw everything they had at the Lady Dons and some incredible, extended rallies made for nervous parents.  Acalanes battled well with service aces from Cox and Thomas, blocks from Jen Lincoln and Grobeck and kills from Rogers, Cox and Sophia Takashima.  But, in the end, the Cougars took the set, evening the score.
Game three was all Dons.  The Cougars won the coin toss and opted to serve, but lost the point.  Amaral proceeded to fire in seven serves in a row, six of them aces, before Campolindo got to try again.  They tried, but the Dons were not going to be denied their victory.  Kills by Blair Howard, Lincoln, Goepel, and Thomas sent that message loud and clear.  Service aces were also offered up by Harnish and Thomas.  The back line became a brick wall with Mueller and Goepel on guard.  Attempts by Campo to score on a kill were blocked by Howard, Lincoln, Takashima and Cox.  Some spectacular saves by Grobeck and Amaral reinforced the team’s determination to win.  At game point, with a diversionary call by Grobeck and a nice set by Harnish, Thomas fired in the last shot, ending the match 15-13.

L. Amaral

JV Girls Volleyball Beats Alhambra:  The Acalanes JV Girls Volleyball came roaring back Tuesday, with a victory over Alhambra 25-13, 25-14.  The first game belonged to servers, with Julia Amaral and Sarah Rogers providing 16 of the 25 game points.  Rachael Cox, Jen Lincoln and Amy Thomas added points with strategic kills.  Danielle Grobeck and Blair Howard blocked attempts by the Bulldogs to score on the Dons, while the back row defense led by Josie Mueller let nothing drop.

Game two saw the Dons as a killing machine.  Kills by Natalie Goepel, Rogers, Howard, Grobeck, Thomas and Cox showed slamming offense.  The defensive line was strong with Ainsley Blandford, Sophia Takashima, Rogers and Goepel holding firm.  Throughout the game, the Dons never lost the lead, closing the match out with Joanna Harnish. serving three aces in a row. 

JV Volleyball Loses To Las Lomas:  Acalanes JV Girls Volleyball lost to Las Lomas 25-20, 25-17.  The Lady Dons offered up a tough offense with kills by Blair Howard, Danielle Grobeck, Jen Lincoln, Sarah Rogers, Rachael Cox and Amy Thomas.  Service aces by Joanna Harnish and Grobeck added points to the scoreboard.  However, even with key back row defense from Josie Mueller, Ainsley Blandford and Natalie Goepel, and blocks from Grobeck, Lincoln and Howard, the Knights took the match.  Next up:  The Lady Dons take on Miramonte at Miramonte on Thursday, October 14.

Oct 12 - Acalanes JV at Las Lomas

JV Volleyball Beats Alhambra:  The Acalanes JV Girls Volleyball came roaring back Tuesday, with a victory over Alhambra 25-13, 25-14.  The first game belonged to servers, with Julia Amaral and Sarah Rogers providing 16 of the 25 game points.  Rachael Cox, Jen Lincoln and Amy Thomas added points with strategic kills.  Danielle Grobeck and Blair Howard blocked attempts by the Bulldogs to score on the Dons, while the back row defense led by Josie Mueller let nothing drop.
In game two, the Dons became a killing machine.  Kills by Natalie Goepel, Rogers, Howard, Grobeck, Thomas and Cox showed slamming offense.  The defensive line was strong with Ainsley Blandford, Sophia Takashima, Rogers and Goepel holding firm.  Throughout the game, the Dons never lost the lead and Joanna Harnish neatly closed out the match by serving three aces in a row.  Next up, the Lady Dons take on Dougherty Valley, Thursday, September 30.

L. Amaral

In their first League match, Acalanes JV Girls Volleyball lost to Miramonte,
25-17, 25-20.  The team fought hard with kills by Sarah Rogers, Rachael Cox,
Danielle Grobeck, and Amy Thomas.  Service aces were provided by Julia
Amaral, Joanna Harnish and Cox.   A tight back row led by Ainsley Blandford
and defensive blocks by Grobeck and Jen Lincoln, kept the game a battle of
equals, but in the end, the Mats came out on top.  Next, the Lady Dons play
Campolindo on Thursday, September 24 at Campolindo.

L. Amaral

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