San Benito’s Bri Romero went on a killing spree Tuesday night at
Gilroy High School.
Gilroy – San Benito’s Bri Romero went on a killing spree Tuesday night at Gilroy High School.
The senior outside hitter contributed a season-high 19 kills, and led the Lady ‘Balers over the Gilroy Mustangs in three games, 25-13, 25-18, 26-24.
It was her six kills in a row, though, that brought San Benito from behind for the 26-24 third-game victory.
“She came up clutch when we had to come up big,” San Benito coach Dean Askanas said. “Bri really stepped up. She showed why she’s the captain out there.”
In the third game, with the Mustangs leading 23-19, Romero made the final seven points for San Benito, including six points in a row – all kills.
“It was good to see they had the fortitude to do that,” Askanas said of his team’s comeback. “Gilroy played with a lot of emotion. They played with confidence and when you do that, the ball starts going over the net.
“I think they’re a good team. They’re better than their record shows.”
Gilroy coach Sue Grogan was pleased with the way her Mustangs played and felt this was a strong learning experience for her young, sophomore-dominated squad.
“The girls played really well. For them to come out here and get fired up was a good thing,” Grogan said. “They were doing stuff out there that they rarely show me.”
The Lady ‘Balers mounted a comfortable lead in game one after the two teams battled back and forth early. Holding a 10-point lead late in the game, though, San Benito’s Ali Sharp iced the opener with a tip at the net for the 25-13 win.
Gilroy, however, held strong against a tough San Benito squad in the second game. Although San Benito held a late 21-13 lead, the Mustangs began to mount a small comeback of their own.
After a block by Gilroy’s Lindsey Foster and an ace from Jasmine Perez, San Benito’s lead shrunk to just 23-18.
However, the Lady ‘Balers, needing just two points, put the second game away with a pair of scores for the 25-18 win.
“We had a ton of missed serves,” Askanas said. “Right there, that puts you in a precarious situation, and they took advantage of it. I congratulate (Gilroy) for playing so well.”
Looking to avoid a sweep, the Mustangs marched out to a lead in the third game, holding a seven-point lead at one point. But two-time Tri-County Athletic League MVP Emily Kortsen had two of her 17 kills to bring San Benito within four points late, and Romero picked up the rest for the third game win.
The Mustangs have been here before, unfortunately. Gilroy was the lowest-seeded team in the Silver Division at a recent tournament in San Luis Obispo and fell to top-seeded Camarillo 26-24. Said Grogan, “They know what it takes to play at that high level, it’s just a matter of being able to do what it takes.”
Leading the Mustangs Tuesday was Caitlin Chisolm, who supplied Gilroy with eight kills, eight digs and two blocks. Teammate Lindsay Meazell contributed 17 assists and two aces on the night, while Sara Hugo had eight digs and Loryn Ferreira had five kills.
For San Benito, Askanas highlighted the pay of libero Samantha Klauer, whose passing in the first game was “spectacular.”
Gilroy (0-1 TCAL) will play Thursday at Alvarez in Salinas, while San Benito (1-0 TCAL) will play Thursday at North Salinas.
