Welcome to the 2023 Acalanes Varsity Girls Volleyball season! Very excited that the season is finally upon us. This week we had 2 tough matchups, one with Maria Carillo and the other with Archie Williams. Both teams are coming off very strong 2022 varsity campaigns. The 2023 Acalanes team is young and scrappy as they lost 9 seniors from the 2022 team, so there is bound to be some growing pains along the way, especially early in the season.
On Tuesday, Maria Carillo visited Acalanes for the first game of the year. Our girls got off to a slow start going down 2-10. With 2 monster blocks by #12 Addy Treter, the team started to claw their way back. #9 Piper Coy had a couple of aces from the service line to bring us back even closer. A high flying kill by #7 MaeLin Mason set up beautifully by #11 Christina Hageboeck brought the team all the way back to tie the set 13-13. #17 Sophia Terry continued the comeback with a gigantic kill set up nicely by #16 Emme Seelenbacher to increase the lead for the Dons 22-16. Our girls finally put it away at the end 25-18.
In Set #2, #13 Addi Ames, started the team rolling with a sweet kill. It was a battle of wills, as the score seesawed back and forth. An almost impossible dig by #1 Jade Profilio saved an incredible point. #15 Rena Liu kept us in the set with multiple fierce serves. Unfortunately, Maria Carillo got the momentum and took the set 21-25.
In set #3, Sophie, Piper, and #10 Annie Baker, all had kills to get us in the lead early. Emme continued her amazing serves to keep the ball rolling. Sophie and Addy Treter both had monster roof blocks to help the Dons take set #3, 25-20. In set #4, #2 Nisa Khoury had a well-placed kill to help the Dons keep pace. #4 Mika Bocobo smoked an ace from the service line to bring back the team from a small deficit. The Dons actually served for the set and the game at 25-24 but couldn’t finish it off, allowing Maria Carillo to tie it up in sets 2-2. Set #5 would be the decider. Unfortunately, Maria Carillo got out to an early lead and never looked back, winning the set 5-15 and game 2-3 in sets. Very entertaining matchup.
On Thursday, Archie Williams from San Anselmo visited the home floor of the Dons in Lafayette to battle it out. Early on, these evenly matched team fought back and forth. Sophie had one of her trademark roof blocks to start the momentum for the home team. Annie killed one off the block to gain another point. With the score 24-23 in the Dons favor, Addie Ames finished it off with a kill to give the set to the Dons!
In set #2, MaeLin, brought the roof down with a crushing cross kill. Piper had 2 more kills to bring the home crowd to their feet. #5 Mimi Maycock had a beautiful block to help the Dons keep pace with Archie. Archie was too strong in set #2, winning 17-25 to even up the game in sets 1-1.
In set #3, a giant kill from the back row by MaeLin got everyone fired up. Emme had a phenomenal ace that couldn’t be touched by the opposition. Again, Archie proved to be too much and won the 3rd set 18-25.
In order to force a set 5, the Dons had to take set #4. A great dig by Rena and a huge kill by Piper got the home team headed in the right direction. MaeLin continued her strong serving to keep the score close. Again, Archie proved too strong and took set #4 and won the game.
Please come out and support the team as they take on Rancho Cotate from Rohnert Park at Acalanes tonight at 6:30pm