Dons Take Down the Knights

YOUR Acalanes Dons girls volleyball team hosted Las Lomas on Thursday for Think Pink night, raising breast cancer awareness. The level of pink in the gym was overwhelming and awesome, and the volleyball program certainly appreciates the support! I regret the seven cupcakes but it was for a GOOD CAUSE. And the Dons put on a great show flying around the court, working together, and getting it done. Here is some of how they did it:

First Set:

1-0: Lane Webster starts this shindig off with an Ace!
2-1: Annika Olson makes a nice pass on the serve receive. Erin Meade delivers a kill. That’s a snappy combo right there.
5-4: Webster sets Madi Risch low and tight at the net and Madi drills it to the floor.
7-6: Olson’s turn to rip one to the floor, followed by a Kennedy Cornish Ace!
8-7: Kaylin Hiatt perfect pass. Aly Kirke delivers in the middle with a kill.
17-13: After the Knights tie it up at 13s, Sydney Sowarby sets the platform and pops up a pass to Webster, and Olson kills the set; then Risch rolls a serve off the net for an Ace – filthy – and Webster dekes a set and dumps it into the middle of the defense – crafty – and Las Lomas needs a timeout. Power run.
21-13: Eight straight for the Dons, featuring another Risch Ace, a sweet Hiatt cover dig, and another Olson kill. Game changer.
25-16: Violent Olson kill completes a solid Dons set all around. ‘Sco Dons!

Second Set:

4-3: Meade pushes a smart “tip” just over the blocker’s outstretched arms.
7-5: Diving Sowarby “up” on a short serve and Meade rewards Syd with a kill.
8-5: Low, laser beam Ace from Meade.
9-5. See above.
11-9: Risch stuff at the net. Celebration ensues.
13-10: Webster sets Risch in the pipe and Madi rips it from the back row.
14-10: Body block dig from Hiatt…personal sacrifice, and the ball pops up nicely for Webster…set to Olson…kill!
19-14: Cornish angle rip kill. Smashed, and then double Cornish aces. Taking over.
20-16: Kylie Wood steps in and steps into one in the middle, tooling the blockers with a thunder bolt.
22 All: Knights score a bunch and tie it up. Not sayin’ how or why.
24-26: Hard fighting on both sides, featuring an Olson power slam kill and a “Cornish Special” soft dink to the sideline, but L.L. wins the second set.

Third Set:

1:Olson kill. 2: Webster Ace. 3: Webster dig not returned 4: L.L. hits it long.
4 straight points for the Dons to start the 3d.
7-1: Beautiful Webster back set over to Meade. Crushed and untouched.
8-4: Meade again.
9-4: Risch OTB.
10-8: Knights won’t retreat. But a clean Olson pass opens up a middle set and Wood hammers it. The pink-clad crowd vocalizes its satisfaction.
11-9: Risch Thunder Bomb Kill. Loud.
19-15: Meade kill and Risch block rights the Don’s ship after the Knights temporarily took the lead. Nice response Dons!
22-18: Timeout Knights to try and slow down a Dons run.
22-20: …And it’s a good timeout as L.L. score 2 quick points to tighten it up.
24-20: …But the Dons come right back and score 2 of their own featuring a nice Wood kill. Set point.
25-21: Risch wins it with a kill. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Fourth Set:

2-4: Kirke jumps high and pushes it down for a score. Dons looking to finish this one off in 4.
3-4: Risch hammers an overpass to close down the early deficit. So Yummy.
5-4: Olson Ace and the Dons take the lead!
6-4: Olson Again! Dirty Ace this time as it rolls off of the net. Anniiii!
10-6: Meade great serve, then great pass and then Risch tools the blockers. Erin=Solid.
11-6: Diving up for Parker Jung saves the point. Risch kills it. Stat monster.
13-6: Meade bullet Ace! Your correspondent’s alma mater is a little outmatched by this deep and talented Dons squad.
14-10: Webster dumps one over. Knights cannot pancake it. Winner!
16-10: Risch Ace! Gym sound system blasts Motorhead’s Ace of Spades at high volume. OK, not really, but that would be cool.
18-10: Sowarby sets Webster, and Lane wrists an angle shot down for a winner. Beach vibe.
20-11: Long rally…all kinds of digs all over the court…Kirke finally fires off a kill to the back line the end the point. Much applause.
21-14: Olson pounds one straight down. With Authority.
22-14: Meade big kill. Getting closer to the end…
24-16: Refs call time to discuss something, thereby icing the Knights server, and the serve goes long! Match Point! Really close to the end!
25-16: Knights can’t get it back over with the allowable number of hits and it’s over!

The Dons move to 5-2 in League play (with 5 straight wins), and Senior Night at home on Tuesday and Campo on the road on Wednesday await next week, so come out and support the team!

Meanwhile YOUR faithful correspondent is signing off for the last time and passing the baton to the next Don’s volleyball scribe. It’s been an honor to report on Don’s volleyball for the last six years and to keep the “write-up” tradition alive as it was passed down! Go Dons!