Despite stand out play by Valeria Toledo, Ellie Blanchard, Kyla Fox and a number of other Acalanes players, we dropped a heartbreaker of an away loss to los Lomas earlier in the week. So tonight, our varsity Dons are psyched to be back on their home turf, you can tell in the way that they’re warming up. Seriously I’m watching the set slam on the stadium side and these girls are intimidating! 

The girls look loose and confident. This one’s gonna be good.

Miramonte coming to our house hoping to take one from the Dons, but we can all still feel the season opener here at Acalanes…and we ALWAYS put up a fight!

Eye of the Tiger cranking in the house and it’s a brisk 93 degrees in the Acalanes Gym…we’re ready to go!

 

First blood goes to the Dons as the Matadors end a rally with a strike wide but the Dons give it right back and we’re tied at 1 a piece.

And a vicious set slam Emme Seelenbacher to Sophia Terry! Rena Liu takes a point and we’re tied at 4.

5-4 Dons after a textbook set slam Emme – Sophia! Cross court set from Emme to Addi Ames for the STUFF!

Some back and forth between the teams and were tied at 8.  Valeria Toledo with a block at the net!   Emme to Sophia in what is becoming a “thing,” across the net. Unhittable!

So smooth…Emme with the set dump!  PSYCH!!

And a streak of points on Emme’s serve forces a Matador TO.

18-13 Dons.

Kylah Rose Fox with the STUFF at the net! 

At 21-16 Dons arena has the serve. And at 22-16 the Matadors take a TO.

Rena with a STRIKE across the net! 

24-16.

Good rally goes Miramonte way and it’s 24-17.  And MaeLin Mason with the STUFF at the net for the W!!

First set Dons!

Second set.

First blood to the Matadors. Addi Ames with a smash at the net to give the Dons their first point and the serve. And Kayla with the DENIAL at the net and Addi serves into a LONG rally with stuffs and heads up play to keep it alive by both Valeria Toledo and Stella Larkin.

5-3 Dons.

After a 7 point streak by Addi Ames we give it back. And Kyla’s arm is TOO HOT TO HANDLE.

Rena with the frozen rope over the net, untouchable.  A KILLER block by Stella Larkin. Whoa!  Followed by a MASSIVE rally ended deftly by Emme’s signature set dump.

And then, Sophia climbed such a ladder I was looking at the bottom of her shoes!  SMASH!!

12-10 Dons. Emme with the rock.

Another great one handed save by Stella to extend Emme’s streak and a TO by the Matadors!

A STRIKE from MaeLin in the back corner. Man, there was real mustard on that!! 

After another Addi Ames stream it’s 21-13 Dons and we look STRONG!!

Stella to MaeLin and it’s 23-14 Dons. A small stream by the Matadors and it’s 24-17…until it’s not!

Second set Dons!!

Third set

Stella, Christina Hageboeck to MaeLin for the SLAM and were tied at 2. Kyla with a WALL at the net! 

3-3

3-4

Sydney Graves to serve! And Sydney quickly takes three from the Matadors.

6-5 and Annie Baker with the SMACK to take it back.  And Sydney Graves to Sophia for the crush! 

8-6 Dons.

Stella, Sydney Graves, Annie Baker. Set em up, knock em down!!

A quick slide and the Matadors take the lead 9-10 but only for a minute and Christina with the rock.

10-10

11-11

12-11

12-12

Miramonte isn’t afraid to make a stand but neither is Valeria who BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE!

But this thing is going back and forth like ping pong and the Mats take a 3 point lead.

13-16

14-17 Mats

And Annie Baker into the back corner, perfect precision!! And a bing bang boom it’s back to tied. 17 a piece.

But a few miscues and some unfortunate assistance from the basketball equipment and it’s 17-20 Mats and a TO by Coach Haley to settle and gather.

But two quick points by the mats and Coach Haley calls another TO. 

But the Mats take the rest and the third set. We go to four!

Set four.

Christina to serve. And first blood to Acalanes!!

A lite touch by Kayla at the net. A FANTASTIC and acrobatic save by the mats only to have MaeLin STUFF it back!!

Christina with a FABULOUS save! But the Mats take it at the net. But not before a 4 strike run by Addi Ames. Man Kylah Fox is on FIRE at the net tonight.

6-2

MaeLin, Christina, Sophia – with authority.  Stella, Sydney G to MaeLin! 

MaeLin ACE!!! Whooosh!!!

10-5 Dons.

SMOKIN HOT CANNON FIRE from Sophia!!  One hander by Sydney Graves!!

Massive set from the back by Stella to Kyla for the smash!  MaeLin to the back corner.

Stella strings a few strong serves together punctuated by Sophia Terry’s crushing right arm and the mats need a TO to gather themselves.

16-11 Dons.

I’m telling you Christina to Sophia is a sight to see.

18-12 Sydney Graves serving – one point, two points…and a Tee Ohohohohhhhhh-oh!!

22-14 Dons…

Can you feel it…?

And just as we thought it was in the bag, the Mats took 5 quick points and were sitting on a 23-19 lead when coach Haley calls a TO.

And the mats serve flies wide!

But so does the Acalanes serve and we’re at 24-20 Dons. C’mon DEFENSE!!

And Dons Win!!!