YOUR Acalanes Dons Girls Volleyball Team continued its Week 1 road show in league play, facing the much-improved Alhambra Bulldogs in Martinez on Thursday night. Roll the highlights.

 

First Set:

2-5:      Slow start. Hayes Hollar roof. Dons cold.

4-6:      Erin Meade kill. Warmer…

6s:        Awesome tight net set from Rachel Go…Roxy Cummings kills it. Getting hotter.

7-6:      Go Ace! Lit!

8s:        Another solid Go set to Elsa Clever who crushes it.

11-9:    Madi Risch scolds the Dogs with a block at the net. Woof!, I mean Roof!

14-13:  Annika Olson with another stuff block for the Dons. Bad Dog!

16-15:  Lane Webster sets up Olson in the middle for a powerful kill.

19-20:  Hollar with an aggressive back row kill. Timely.

19-24:  Rough patch. Dogs bite hard. Timeout Dons to inspect the wounds.

21-24:  Risch kill then Meade kill, chasing the Dogs into a timeout…

… but the canines run away with the first set 21-25.

 

Second Set:

1s:        Cailey McVay nice pass. Risch rewards with a kill.

5-6:      Clever kill keeps Aca close.

10-9:    Olivia Elliott smokes an overpass at the net to give the Dons the lead.

11s:      Another good Elliott block re-ties it. Let’s go O!

13s:      McVay ties it again with an Ace! Timeout Alhambra.

17-15:  Great Go serve prompts an overpass. Clever promptly crushes it. Yummy.

19s:      Alhambra snarls back. This is a dog fight. Timeout Dons.

21-20:  Risch Bomb Kill!

23-21:  Then Risch kills one softly and smartly.

25-21:  Risch Ace! Dons grab the second set as Madi asserts Alpha dominance.

 

Third Set:

2-1:      Olson kill.

4-3:      Dons did some funky mojo that resulted in a point.

7-3:      Clever Roof! Timeout Alhambra and the whole team actually departs the gym. Can they do that? The Dogs have left the kennel.

9-5:      Hollar killing me softly with a dink. Winner.

11-7:    Clever wins a joust at the net. Down Fido.

12-7:    Hollar Ace!

13-8:    Webster drills a kill from the “Oppo” spot.

14-8:    Clever Ace! Big Dons run. I will keep writing notes every point on this streak!

15-8:    Olson kill!

16-8:    Clever Ace! Dogs are howling in pain. Timeout Alhambra.

19-13:  Streak ended, but Olson kills the pure McVay set.

22-16:  Webster sharp angle kill after the bullet serve from Parker Jung.

23-17:  Go –> Risch –> Kill.

25-18:  Webster rips a kill to the back line. Give that pup a treat. Dons win the Third.

 

Fourth Set:

2-1:      Olson fires a sneaky low kill.

3s:        SUPER McVay dig on a Big Dog hit, and then Elliott stuffs the overpass. Always yummy.

7-8:      Clever Ace!

9-10:    Olson again. Solid.

13s:      Clever ties it up with a smart little tip winner.

13-16:  Timeout Dons after a little bit of a pooch party.

15-18:  Hollar Ace. Bringin’ the heat.

17-21:  Cummings block. Dogs can smell it though.

18-23:  Elena Needs jumps in and makes a great pass…Olson kills it.

18-25:  But Alhambra grabs the Fourth and doesn’t let go, like a good Bulldog.

 

Fifth Set:

3-4:      Kennedy Cornish kill. The gym is tense.

6s:        Clever ties it up with a middle kill.

9-8:      Risch pounds one off the blockers for a huge point.

9-12:    Timeout Dons after a 4-point Pack Attack. Ouch.

9-15:    Unfortunately the Dons can’t get on track and Alhambra runs off 7 straight points to close out the match. Tough road loss in 5 sets but the Dons are making good progress and it was a fun, hard fought battle.