Fresh off a nerves of steel, INTENSE 5 set win in Benicia Tuesday, our Varsity Dons are looking to corral the Northgate Broncos and keep the momentum going. Once again, the theme song for the Aca gym is Madonnas, “I’m burnin up.” As the crowd piles into the sweat box in anticipation of another heart pounding performance by the Acalanaes Womans Varsity volleyball team!

The evening was further defined by the Acalanes commitment to the Dig Pink bake sale fundraiser to benefit breast cancer research and raise awareness.

In a gym filled with pink, Dons Girls Volleyball raised $1,000 for Breast Cancer Research. Our Dig Pink Bake Sale Fundraiser was a smash hit. 

Thank you, Dons community! We couldn’t be prouder of the energy, spirit, and generosity of everyone who joined in. From buying sweet and savory treats to cash donations and enthusiastic cheers, we thank each of you for making this event a success. Dons showed up, and together, we dug deep for a great cause! 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the organizers, Katie Blanchard and Debbie Krackler, and all the parents in the volleyball community. Your dedication and hard work made this event possible. We also want to express our gratitude to Susie Cakes of Lafayette for their generous donation. 

#GoDons #DigPink #PaintTheGymPink

Set 1. 

Dons open with the serve and Emme Seelenbacher is first with the rock opening up with a bullet of a serve and a really solid rally and take first blood. 

Addy Treter with the denial at the net! And MaeLin Mason with a smash at the net!! Feels like a tone setter, but a quick run by the horses and a TO by Coach Haley at 3-7 Broncos. 

The Broncos come on strong and enjoy another quick 3-point run before Emme set dumps it to take the ball back at 6-10 Broncos and MaeLin serves. Ball in play and MaeLin with an impressive dig in the back court but the horses keep trotting along and it’s 7-12 Broncos. 

Back and forth and it’s 12-17 Broncos. And Annie Baker with a KILL for the score! 

Soccer or volleyball…this particular moment is about the feet as MaeLin quick reacts with a punt over the net to save the play and take it back and we’re at 14-19 broncos. The Niners could use MaeLin’s foot these days! MaeLin ACE!!! ACE!!! And a TO at 17-19 Broncos. 

And two more quick from MaeLin and we’re tied. At 19. 

Knotted at 20. 

21 a piece. 

Addy Treter with the SMOOSH 22-21 Dons. 

22 a piece. And a TO from Coach Haley after the horses put one on the wood. 22-23 Broncos. 

The words I want to use are outside the guidelines of our publishing standards but honestly any description would be inadequate, you had to be there to experience the athleticism of Stella Larkin’s one handed, totally horizontal save from the outside, over the net to the floor of the Bronco’s side. I mean that save was superhuman! What the heck are her parents feeding that girl??? Dons take the ball back 23- 24 Broncos. 

And white knuckled parents in the stands go CRAZY as the Dons take the lead at 25-24 when the Broncos call a TO. 

And the Broncos return it out! Dons take first set! Whoa, check my blood pressure!

Set 2. 

And we open with the textbook set dump by Emme to take first blood but again, some of the rules are foreign to me and somehow the point shows up on the visitor side of the scoreboard.  

Piper Coy gets it, and she strikes back jamming it through the hands of the back court 1-3 Broncos. 

Piper serving serious heat and we’re tied up at 3! And an Addy Treter/Annie Baker WALL at the net! 

4-4 Bronco serve goes long and Stella steps up taking two with her tried and true serve. 

Broncos come back and tie it at 6 but Annie Baker finds the back corner with authority to keep the lead. 

We grab a couple more before the horses take it back. But they go wide and we’re still on top by 1 9-8 Dons. 

Christina Hageboeck and Sophia Terry build a massive barrier at the net to shut down the Broncs. 11-9 Dons. 

Ellie Blanchard steps up with the rock and it goes our way. 13-11 Dons. ACE Blanchard!! And before she’s done, we’re looking at 14-12 dons. Stella, Christina, Treter with the smash!! 

Christina to serve and follow with some incredible acrobatics to save an errant ball!  Wow, talk about leaving it all on the court!!

16-13 Dons. 

Annie Baker – the CRUSHING BLOW. And awesome save by Piper to Christina to Treter for the point and at 18-13 a TO by the horses. 

They take the serve back but lemme tell you, Christina and MaeLin have other ideas about whose ball it is, and take it RIGHT BACK! 

Stella’s rocket serve is punctuated by Sophia at the net with a shoe bottom SLAM! Dude, that was punishing! Second serve is too hot to handle!!  ACE!!! The Broncos find an open corner but it’s 22-15 Dons. 

And at 24-15 Annie Baker serves up the serious can-o-heat and the Broncos bungle it, Dons take set 2!!

Set 3.

We open up the third set with rocket fire from Christina, but the horses find the back corner and steal it from us. 

It’s a tough hill to climb, even for a Bronco and they give it right back and this time the cannon fire comes from Piper who freaking punishes them for even thinking they should show up tonight. Wow!  

Awesome dig by Christina to set Treter up for the smash and Stella firing frozen ropes JUST over the net with MASSIVE heat!! 

And it’s 5-4 Dons. 

Single point exchanges for a min and it’s 6 a piece. Christina with the DENIAL at the net!! And a MaeLin ACE!  Great back and forth but the ball bounces to the Broncs. 

8-7 Dons. 

Ellie takes the rock at 9-8 Dons. And a MONEY play off the rafters!! Whoa! Ellie is on a roll with her serve!!!

11-9 Dons. 

13-11 Dons after some back and forth.  But a few miscalculations and it’s tied at 13. Annie Baker says, “Ummm, I’m sorry but it’s OUR lead.” With a smash. 

And a spectacular rally falls the Broncos way, 14 all. But then the Broncos take the lead for the first time and coach Haley calls a TO. 

And the Broncos send it FLYING OUT!! 15 a piece. 

16 a piece. It’s a battle!

We drop a quick 2 and it’s 16-19. Time to settle. And we take it back!  

17-19 Broncos. But we give it back right away and we’re down by 3. 

17-21 Broncos. And the broncos find the back corner for another point and at 17-22 Coach Haley calls a TO. 

Our girls are fighting hard and battling tough. 

And Piper sends it into their backcourt and Ellie B again for the serve. Broncos return into the net and it’s 19-22 Broncos. 

More strong serves by Blanchard and an EXCLAMATION POINT from Baker to bring us within 2. 20-22 Broncos. But a good set dump by the horses and they take the serve back 20-23 Broncos. 

And the Broncos find the back corner to take the third set. It’s all good, we know how to do this and the girls wash it off as they prep for the 4^th set.

Set 4. 

The Broncos open the fourth set right into the net giving it to the Dons. But then play at the net goes their way and we’re tied right away at 1. Then Addie Ames FIRES a killer shot to the back corner to take it back! WHOOOOP!

3-2 Dons. 

A PRETTY set smash Christina to Sophia! And ANOTHER set smash Christina, Sophia to the back corner!! Get used to it y’all, we know how to do this!! Woot!!! 

5-3 Dons. 

We drop a quick two and it’s tied at 5. 

Blanchard serving up the hot ball and Christina finding the back of the court!! But the Broncos hang tough and we remain tied at 7. 

Then Treter wall at the net drives the ball back on the Broncs and Piper finishes with a STRIKE into the wood!!! 

10-8 Dons. 

But we drop the lead again to bring it to 10 all. 

Stella, Christina, Treter for the take back. 

Some serious acrobatics by Stella and Christina to keep the ball in play but we lose a battle at the net and at 11-14 Broncos coach Haley calls TO. 

Settle…

At 12-15 Broncos Annie Baker to serve. And we take one back, but that’s all we get and the Broncos get the ball and it’s 13-16. 

14-17 Broncos. 

14-18. Broncos

And Sophia with the sweet touch at the net to take it. 15-18 broncos. It’s a real slog out here. Strong play at the net but it doesn’t go out way and it’s 15-19 Horses. 

At 15-20 Coach Haley calls TO to ground the girls. 

We finally catch a break and take it at 16-21 Broncos. Christina fires away and it’s 17-21. Broncos fire it out. 18-21. An INCREDIBLE save WAAAY in the back by the big old FAM from Addie Ames and Stella Larkin, but despite the heroics it doesn’t fall our way. 

18-23 broncos. 

18-24 broncos. 

And we drop the 4th set and we’re going to 5. We’ve been here before…ain’t no thing.

Set 5 

Christina serving to open at 5 and she FIRES one with a smoke trail on it! Wow I think that thing broke the sound barrier!!

But we drop 2 quick and it’s 1-2 broncos. 

1-3 Broncos. 

And Piper with the soft touch takes it back 2-3 Broncos. Treter/Baker wall ties it up!! 

And we’re tied at 4. 

And a MaeLin strike on the line!! 5-4 Dons!! Sophia with a crushing blow 6-4 dons SMASH by Sophia 7-4 Dons and a TO by the Horses!! 

Broncos take it back and it’s 7-5 Dons. But we lose a contest at the net and it’s 7-6 Dons. And we hit the back corner again!  8-6. Dons.

8-7 Dons as we send one out in the back court. Bronco serve. But we just miss at the net and it’s tied.

8’s. 

Win at the net. 

9-8 

Sophia smash. 

10-8 

But we give it back…10-9 Dons. And we take it back – I’m getting dizzy with all this back and forth!!! 11-9 Dons. Blanchard with the rock. But the Horses battle back and it’s 11-10 Dons. 

Christina/Treter smash!! 12-10 Dons. 

12-11 Dons. Bronco serve…and Bronco misfire!!! It’s 13-11 Dons. Can you feel it?????

13-12 and the Broncos take it back. Check my heart! What a battle! 

13 all. TO Coach Haley. 

13-14 Broncos on a really close call on the back line. 

Annie Baker takes it back 14 all, Stella serving. Broncos LONG and a TO horses. As they try and freeze Stella. 

Textbook Larkin serve puts the Broncs on their heels, but the Broncos win it at the net and it’s 15 all. 

15-16 Broncos. 

And Sophia with the SMASH 16 all. 

A redo at the net for a crazy call and Annie Baker gets the point. And a CRAZY point at the end to win it 18-16!! 

More than 200 points between these teams and this is the second 5 set, dramatic win OF THE WEEK. These girls are a sight to see. An inspiring display of confidence, teamwork, grit and toughness!! A truly breathtaking experience to witness.  Bravo Dons!!!

Don’t forget to come out Tuesday and support your Don’s Volleyball squad at Campo…let’s keep it going!!!