Deer Valley Tournament Report
YOUR Acalanes Dons girls volleyball team embarked on another full-day event on Saturday out in Antioch and delivered another solid performance with 4 wins versus 1 loss (to eventual tourney champion Amador Valley) and a 5th place finish. It was a full team effort featuring several different rotations and player combinations in the final matches before league play begins on Tuesday, when your Dons host Campolindo. Do everything you can to be there on Tuesday night!!! Go Dons!
Match 1 – Mills High
In perhaps their most complete overall effort the Dons came out strong early and repulsed the Vikings in two sets, 25-23, 25-14. (Mills finished in second place overall at the end of the day).
Makenzie Sauer and Sydney Sowarby led the serving attack with multiple aces, Kennedy Cornish and Lane Webster finished a couple of roofing jobs, and Lauren Davis and Madi Risch fired multiple line kills and “off the blocker” kills as the Dons height advantage played out well.
Match 2 – Clayton Valley
The Dons got off to a slower start with Clayton Valley, but after being down early they stormed back to win the match in two, 25-23, 25-17. This time the Dons were led on the offense by Annika Olson – kills off the block and a particularly yummy overpass slam, Olivia Elliott – friendly assassin kills, and, also, Aly Kirke and Kylie Wood – some sweet middle kills and big blocks. Aisha Mohanty split setting duties with Webster and pushed some buttery nuggets up for Olson, Sauer and Davis to feast on. Solid back row defense from Daisy Sibley (“D” is for Daisy) anchored the attack, while Sowarby delivered more great serving and some strong out of system sets. It all added up to a 2-0 pool play record for the Dons heading into the playoff bracket.
Match 3 – Amador Valley
To start the playoffs the Dons ran into a hot Amador Valley club that was just not letting the ball hit the floor. Despite a great start and an early 10-2 lead the Dons could not hold on and lost the match in two sets, 22-25, 21-25, pushing the Dons into the Consolation Bracket.
Match 4 – Arcata
Despite the disappointing loss the Dons stayed focused and fired up, punishing the Tigers, who, for their 4-hour drive down from the Lost Coast were rewarded with a 25-14, 25-17 defeat in two sets. This time around the defense was sparked by Parker Jung, and Erin Meade got into the hitting action, delivering several kills and two service Aces, taking the Dons into the Consol Finals.
Match 5 – Deer Valley
For the final match of the day the Dons drew the host school, started slow and then finished strong!:
First Set:
4-10: A little sloppy on both sides as the home Deer Valley crowd is LOUD, despite 10 hours of tourney volleyball.
6-15: Timeout Acalanes as this one is really getting away from the Dons. Let’s go Coach Haley! Coach-em up.
7-16: Meade kill.
8-16: Olson kill.
9-16: Risch pipe kill. I’m sensing a pattern here.
10-16: Webster dump kill catches the Wolverines unawares.
11-16: Meade kill. Roaring back.
14-16: Another Olson kill at the end of huge serving run from Sowarby!
16-17: Nice Cornish placement kill in the middle.
20-19: Thunderous Risch Bomb smacks the floor, gives the Dons the lead, and drives the Acalanes faithful (parents!) crazy.
22-19: Olson! Ace!
23-19: Cornish kill!
24-19: More great Olson serving. Set point.
25-19: Olson serve and Cornish again to end it. The OC. Great comeback Dons!
Second Set:
1s: Kirke kill.
3s: Smoked Sowarby Ace. Dons have Deer Valley’s full attention at this point.
9-8: Spirited rally and Sibley scores with a bump kill to the back corner
11-9: Webster Ace!
12-9: Another Webster hot-potato serve results in an overpass to Kirke…Aly makes em pay! (Thanks for the play-by-play assist Jen Davis!)
15-10: Davis rolls the Dirty Ace off of the tape.
18-12: Sowarby sets Sauer out of system as Webster yells for help. Sauer crushes a kill.
20-12: Jung pass, Webster set, Elliott kill. Dons dominating and Wolverines seem headed back to the den.
21-12: A battle of wills: Wood wins the joust at the net.
22-13: and Wood follows it up with a nice kill.
24-13: Sibley arcs a short serve that finds the floor just over the net. Ace! Match point!
25-13: Sibley Aces it again to win the match! Nice!
OK once again Campo at Acalanes this Tuesday. We need a big crowd so see you there!
Sco Dons.
