Bolts of lightning exploded outside Mattson Gym during Thursday
night’s Hollister High-Notre Dame volleyball match. Inside, the
Balers were like lightning in a bottle.
Bolts of lightning exploded outside Mattson Gym during Thursday night’s Hollister High-Notre Dame volleyball match, which wrapped up the Tri-County Athletic League season for both teams. Inside, the Balers were like lightning in a bottle, unleashing their electro-shock power on the Spirits for a 15-7, 17-15, 15-7 sweep.
The Balers not only swept the Spirits for the third straight season, they swept through the inaugural TCAL like butter on hotcakes.
Pending some zany goings on at Saturday’s Division I Central Coast Section meeting in San Jose, Hollister (29-4, 10-0) will grab the No. 3 seed behind No. 1 St. Francis and No. 2 Mitty, which met Thursday night in the championship match of the West Catholic Athletic League.
If the Balers play the way they did for 95 percent of Thursday’s match, they should be in good stead if and when they meet either of the two heavyweights.
The Lancers aren’t chump change, holding the No. 1 ranking in the U.S., to say nothing of the No. 1 ranking in California. The Monarchs are ranked No. 3 in the state with the Balers at No. 18.
Playing in front of a boisterous homecoming crowd, Hollister reeled off the first 11 straight points of the night against the Spirits (23-9, 7-3), who had no idea what hit them.
-Sarah Groman, who was a force at the net the entire match, put one down for 1-0.
-Nashia Alvarez, who contributed steady back row play, hit two low-flight serves for two of her four aces.
-Jenny Denton set sister Jacky for a booming spike. Jacky had 12 kills on the night, to go with five aces. Jenny Denton was sensational in all facets and had 36 assists.
-A beautiful backset by Jenny Denton to a sliding Kaylie Kortsen and it was 7-0 Balers. Kortsen had a match-high 13 kills and two aces and dominated the middle of the net.
-Time out Notre Dame.
-Alyssa Fowles, just a sophomore, had an ace for 9-0. She had five aces for the night and played flawless defense in the back row.
There was a series of sideouts at 12-7 as the Spirits settled down. That’s when Jacky Denton executed two jump serves for aces for 14-7 as Notre Dame coach Heather Imwalle called her final time out of the game.
Hollister’s Kim Dabo, who seemed like brand new after a recent battle with achilles tendonitis, warmed it up in game two. Two successive kills by Dabo broke a 2-2 tie. A short set to Melissa Moore and it was 5-2 Balers. Kortsen’s wicked jump serve gave Hollister a 6-2 lead.
The match was stopped at 8-3 as some water leaked through the gymnasium roof on the Spirits’ side of the floor and had to be wiped off. The Spirits used the break in momentum to string together five straight points. The Balers gathered themselves on two low aces by Fowles. A Jacky Denton kill and Moore swing, her biggest of the evening, and the Balers seemed to have control at 12-8, then 13-9.
The Spirits, however had other ideas. The Balers had their one stretch of sloppiness, not passing well and committing hitting errors and the Spirits took advantage. The Spirits Melissa Pura tied the score at 13-all with an ace. The two teams battled, rallied and traded points until Kortsen ended the last real gasp by the Spirits with a kill at the net on a freeball.
“Hollister’s the best team we’ve played all season by far,” said Imwalle, whose Spirits will play in Division IV of CCS. “We can’t block them. They have too many weapons. We hope to play at their level someday.”
“We’re all playing together,” said Dabo, who all over the hardwood. “To go undefeated in league was unbelievable. We’re ready for CCS.”
It was also the final home match for Hollister coach Larry Nabzeska, who is calling it quits after five years as head Baler.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Nabzeska. “I’m overwhelmed. We’re moving in the right direction. We have to keep it up. These girls have been phenomenal. They’re not a good team. They’re a great, great team.”
-Baler bits: Three junior varsity players will be brought up for the CCS playoffs – sophomores Cortney Almaguer, Kathy McCullough and freshman Amanda Boyd… Former Baler Stephanie Denton, older sister of Jenny and Jacky Denton, was in attendance and took part in the pre-match homecoming ceremonies. Stephanie attends Long Beach State… The Balers presented the Notre Dame players with candy necklaces before the game, but seemed to be about three necklaces short… Baler players threw tiny volleyballs into the stands to Baler fans before the match, which was a big hit with many. Fowles had trouble throwing hers, drilling it right into the Mattson Gym hardwood… The match was delayed an hour and fifteen minutes due to three-set matches for the freshmen and junior varsity… The Balers quarterfinal CCS match is Saturday, Nov. 16 and will be played at a neutral site.
-JVs: Hollister prevailed 15-11, 4-15, 15-13 to finish the year 23-8. “It was a nice way to end the season,” said coach Marlene Villegas. “Everyone played well.”
-Freshmen: The Balers defeated the Spirits 15-4, 11-15, 15-11. Caitlin Halla had five kills, while Ari Romeroa and Huston Morris had four kills each. Valerie Silguero had four aces, while Cassie Kearns had three aces.
