YOUR Acalanes Dons Volleyball team traveled to “The Matadome” on Halloween night to tangle with the Matadors for the third time this season (they split the first two), this time with a shot at the NCS Finals at stake.
First Set:
2s: Roxy Cummings pushes a smart tip shot to an empty spot. Tied early as both teams are a little tight.
3-2: Dons lead on a Hayes Hollar block.
6-2: Hollar tips one off the back row for a winner. Mats are making lots of mistakes and they call a timeout. Dan Meade: “Is it Halloween or Christmas?”
8-3: Super serving from Kaylin Hiatt. Super digs from Cailey McVay, and then kills from Kennedy Cornish and Madi Risch as the Dons have the Mats spooked so far.
11-5: Three nice sets by Rachel Go on this point. Risch kills the last one…third time is the charm.
14-7: Cummings contorts and saves one tight on the net. Great body control Rox!
18-10: Cummings clean kill. Sweet!
21-10: Elsa Clever Ace!
23-17: Mats make a big run. Timeout Dons.
24-17…24-18…24-19…24-21…Timeout Dons. Scary.
25-21: … and Risch crushes one to finish off the Attack of the Mummy-dors as the Dons win the first set.
Second Set:
3-0: Risch Ace. Great Dons start.
4-0: Risch Ace again.
6-1: Hollar kills the Go set.
10-5: Hollar Ace! Yaassss!
11-5: Timeout Miramonte. “Did I scare you?”
13-7: Risch the Ripper.
17-9: Risch fires one “high hands” off the blockers, backed up by stellar Go serving and passing.
20-12: Cummings shoots a hot potato down the line for a winner.
21-12: Clever Ace! All trick, no treat. Timeout Mats. Dons making it look easy.
22-12: Cornish! Roof! Dons rolling.
23-12: Cornish! Roof! Deja vu.
24-14: Cornish middle kill. Set point. I am sensing a pattern.
25-15: Lane Webster sets to Hollar for a set-winning kill (welcome back Lane!). Dons take the second set.
Third Set:
1s: Hollar back corner kill flies by all defenders like an apparition.
2-5: Dons down. No wait. Multiple penalties on the Mats for lineup problems. Ouch, now its 3-2 Dons. Confusing.
3-7: Timeout Dons after the Mats wiped out the score reversal with 5 in a row. Don’t ZOMBIE out on me Dons!!!
5-10: Annika Olson kill off the Webster set.
8-11: Go Ace. Dons charging the Matadors.
11s: Go Ace again. R-Gooooo! Timeout Mats. Tied up!
12-13: Makenzie Sauer with a nice kill.
13-15: Cummings kill. Needed it to stay close.
17-18: Webster to Olson again. Crusher.
19-18: Risch pounds one off the back row. Dons re-take the lead.
22-19: Go!!! Ace!!! Again!!!
22-23: Mats run off 4 straight. Boo! Timeout Dons.
23-24: Risch with a frightening kill, but still set point for Mats….
23-25: Mats come back and take the third set.
Fourth Set:
3-1: Clever rips a middle kill and follows it up with an Ace!
4-2: Cornish kills the sweet Go set.
5-4: Cornish kills the sweet Webster set.
6-4: Olson kills the sweet McVay set.
7-8: Hollar from the pipe for a kill.
8s: McVay Ace! McTied!
9-8: Another McVay Ace recaptures the lead!
12-11: Cummings with a big kill down the line. Woo! Tight one here.
15s: Webster Ace! Re-ties it. Tension.
16-15: Dons score. Mats take a timeout.
17s: Dons go down by one off the timeout and then Hollar re-ties it with a crafty kill. Mats like Jason…just won’t die.
19s: Dons go down one – again – and then Cornish ties it up with a middle kill.
19-21: Timeout Acalanes as they struggle to keep pace with the revitalized Mats.
20-22: Risch kill. Crucial.
22s: Timeout Mats. See-saw battle as this time Acalanes plays Freddie Krueger and comes back once again.
23s: Risch again, to re-tie it, again. Too scary to watch!
23-25: Same result as the third set. Like two trips through the Haunted Mansion at Disney.
Fifth Set:
1-4: Rough start. Timeout Dons.
2-4: Cummings kill.
3-5: Cornish kill.
4-10: Risch kill, but Mats are in control. This is turning in to Fright Night.
6-13: Clever kill. Dons need to cast a spell on Miramonte.
7-13: Go Ace! Great serving Rachel!
7-15: Ball bounces all the wrong ways in the fifth for the Dons, and the Mats win the set and hence the match, driving a stake through the heart of the Dons fans in the gym. Sad!
And so the Dons finish with a third-place result in the NCS tourney and wrap up a great 17-13 season marked by tough opponents, great improvement, and a strong finish down the home stretch…but wait…is the season really over yet?…stay tuned Dons fans.