Boys’ waterpolo team finishes ahead of rivals
HOLLISTER
– The San Benito boys water polo team delivered a pair of
lopsided wins before falling two goals short of Leland in the final
at the Monterey Bay Tournament last Saturday, supplying the host
Haybalers with a runner-up standing at the eight-team
invitational.
Boys’ waterpolo team finishes ahead of rivals
HOLLISTER – The San Benito boys water polo team delivered a pair of lopsided wins before falling two goals short of Leland in the final at the Monterey Bay Tournament last Saturday, supplying the host Haybalers with a runner-up standing at the eight-team invitational.
Scores from San Benito’s first two games – against Robert Louis Stevenson and Mount Pleasant – were not reported, although Coach Tom Agan said they were both comfortable wins for the Balers.
In the championship, San Benito fell on the short end of an 8-6 match with Leland.
“They looked rusty. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Agan said. “But I’m also seeing a lot of potential. If we can get there, we might actually have something for Salinas and Carmel.
“I’m fairly optimistic at this point, but we’ve got our work cut out for us to get there.”
Both Salinas and Carmel competed in the tournament, two teams expected to be at the top of the Tri-County Athletic League this season. Agan said they’ll both be solid this year.
“But I’m fairly thrilled to see us in the ball park,” said Agan, whose Haybalers finished ahead of both league rivals at this tournament. “It’s nice to know we’re in the mix.”
San Benito Girls Volleyball
SALINAS – At Salinas, the San Benito girls volleyball team finished seventh out of 13 teams at a tournament at Notre Dame last Saturday, compiling a 2-2 record.
Coach Dean Askanas felt his team lost to opponents they should have beaten, but then again, also won matches they weren’t expected to win.
In their first match, San Benito lost to Carmel in three games (25-22, 16-25, 13-15). They rebounded to defeat Aptos in three games (8-25, 25-22, 17-15), but then lost to Monterey in two games (12-25, 23-25). The Lady Balers closed out the tournament with a two-game sweep over league rival North Salinas (25-23, 25-18).
“We’re a blue-collar team,” Askanas said. “We have to get our hands dirty every time if we want to get paid.”
Askanas wants his team playing “super focused” and “super hard,” seeking improvement from the offense while also looking to build upon team passing and serve-receive. Anything less, the coach said, and it won’t happen in the win column.
Through four matches, Justine Hunter had 59 assists, while Shayna Nakata provided a combined 59 digs at the tournament.
Anzar Volleyball
WATSONVILLE – At Watsonville, the Anzar volleyball team compiled a 3-3 record and finished third out of eight teams at the Don Bosco Invitational at St. Francis Central Coast on Saturday.
The Hawks lost to Aragon in two games and to St. Francis in three games to open the tournament, but rebounded to upend Calvary Christian in straight games and finish off pool play.
In tournament play, Anzar beat Monte Vista Christian in two games before falling to Aragon once again, but rebounded with a win over Oak Grove, 25-21, 25-15 to earn third place.
