After winning CCS D-V title, Anzar falls at Gavilan in first
round of state playoffs
The Etna Lions ended the storybook season for the Anzar Hawks
with a 15-0, 15-13, 15-7 win in the California Interscholastic
Federation state volleyball playoffs Tuesday night at Gavilan
College.
After winning CCS D-V title, Anzar falls at Gavilan in first round of state playoffs
The Etna Lions ended the storybook season for the Anzar Hawks with a 15-0, 15-13, 15-7 win in the California Interscholastic Federation state volleyball playoffs Tuesday night at Gavilan College.
Sixteen kills and 14 digs by Hawks outside hitter Kiely White was not enough as the Lions took full advantage of a slow start by the Hawks, who advanced after winning the CCS Division V crown, in each of the three games.
“Unfortunately we weren’t able to move on,” said White. “I just don’t know what else to say. It was a great season.”
Etna middle blocker Lindsey Haupt recorded 16 kills and personally doused most of the Anzar rallies with precise spikes. Whenever Anzar drew near, Haupt was there for another side out or a decisive point.
“We figured if we came out loose then we would be able to play our game,” said Haupt.
The Hawks did not go home as losers.
Last Saturday the Hawks achieved the goal it set in training camp by winning the Central Coast Section title with a five set win over Valley Christian-Dublin High School.
In that game, the Hawks showed true grit in coming back from a 0-2 deficit and sweeping the final three sets. The Hawks did not play up to their potential in the first two games, but still lost the two sets by a total of only five points.
“We didn’t play well but we were still in both of those games,” said Hawks assistant Cameron White. “Once they won the third game you could see their confidence rise.”
The tepid start in Tuesday’s CIF state finals game was a bit different. The Hawks looked off.
There were one-armed digs that flew askew, returnable balls that dropped in the middle of the Anzar defense after more than one person called for it, hanging heads and no fire.
The result was a shutout in the first game.
“We traveled seven hours to get here,” said Haupt, whose school is a few miles from the Oregon border. “We did not want to make the trip in vain. It was definitely worth the trip. We had a blast.”
Afterwards the Hawks players knew they let an opportunity to advance slip away because of shoddy play.
“We didn’t come out pumped up,” said White, a senior.
In the second game, the Hawks made a concerted effort to stay positive after every missed shot. It almost worked. Anzar overcame another slow start after cutting an early five-point deficit to one late in the game.
With the score 12-11 in favor of the Lions Haupt, however, rose up to end the threat. Her tip made it 13-11 and she closed out the second game with a resounding spike.
The Hawks stayed competitive in the third game and even knotted the score at four during one point. But Lions coach Charnna Gilmore called a timeout and got her team back on track. The Lions outscored the Hawks 11-3 for the duration of the contest.
“We’ve come a long way,” said White. “We have nothing to be upset about.”
