YOUR Acalanes Dons Volleyball team took the ultimate High School sports road trip on Tuesday, driving for 5 hours up the 101 to visit Eureka High School for the NCS Division III Playoffs Round of 16, and then right back home again. The trip turned out to be a success as the Dons dominated the Loggers in three sets.

 

Here’s some more of what unfolded in the Redwood Empire:

 

First Set:

1-2:      Elsa Clever gets the Dons started with a middle kill. Shaking off the leftover road vibrations.

5-4:      Nice Rachel Go set over to Roxy Cummings for a kill as the Dons take the lead.

6-4:      Hayes Hollar deep ball kill as the Dons offense is starting to roll.

8-5:      Kaylin Hiatt Ace!

13-9:    Beautiful Go set yields another Dons point, and Clever follows it up with a big block.

17-11:  Clever Ace!

18-11:  Kennedy Cornish kill! Timeout Loggers!

22-17:  Madi Risch kill. With Authority!

25-19:  Risch again…set winning roll shot. Nice.

 

Second Set:

7-1:      Clever runs off multiple serves that cause the Loggers difficulty, leading to six straight points for the Dons, capped off with a “Dirty Ace”, followed by a “Clean” Ace. Wow!

8-2:      Annika Olson drills a sharp angle kill from the middle. Sweet!

10-2     Hollar roll shot kill finds a gap. So smart. Timeout Eureka.

11-4:    Olson pounds another one.

12-5:    Risch hammers one. Nice set from Go.

15-6:    Go. Ace. Yes. Dons exerting control.

19-6:    Go Ace again. Dons dominating!

22-6:    ANOTHER Go Ace. Yasss Rachel. It’s the “Go Show.”

25-8:    Dons take the second in a big way!

 

Third Set:

2-1:      Kylie Wood gets a kill off the blocker. Welcome to The Show Kylie!

4-2:      Mackenzie Sauer gets her first Varsity kill as well. Welcome to The Bigs!

7-6:      Risch tools the blockers. This set tighter right now.

9-6:      Wood puts up a solid one-on-one block for a winner. Womano a Womano.

12-6:    Beautiful Olson pass to Go. She doesn’t set it, but instead dumps it over to the unsuspecting Loggers. Winner! Big Dons run!

15-8:    Go Ace. Shredding her serves tonight!

16-9:    Long rally. Great hustle and super digs on both sides of the net. Risch finishes it by hammering an overpass straight down. Yummy.

18-11:  Olson gobbles up another overpass off the tough Cailey McVay serve. Yummy x2.

20-14:  Nice Parker Jung pass. Olson finishes it off. Dons closing in…

23-15:  Wood tip winner, followed by a Risch Bomb. Dons looking to close this out and get going on the 5-hour drive home.

24-15:  McVay pass. Olson kill. Match point!

25-16:  Go sets Risch for a big line kill and the Dons win this first round NCS playoff match 3-0.

 

Dons will host in the round of 8 on Saturday night. Be there!