Round one of the two-round boys water polo showdown between
Hollister High and Live Oak went the Balers’ way.
Round one of the two-round boys water polo showdown between Hollister High and Live Oak went the Balers’ way. Hollister held off the Acorns 13-10 Wednesday in Morgan Hill to finish unscathed in the Tri-County Athletic League at 6-0, 18-3 overall.
The next round will, in all probability, be in the championship match of the TCAL tournament, which has been rearranged to coincide with the title match of the TCAL girls tourney. Call it a double-dip.
But first, Wednesday’s match at the Fancy Dan Acorns pool. Hollister coach Tom Agan was pleased with the result, but not the way it transpired. The Balers had a 12-7 lead with three minutes to play.
“We let them score three goals in three minutes,” said Agan. “I ripped into my team. We had control of the match up until then. You can’t do that against a team of Live Oak’s caliber. When we made mistakes, Live Oak took advantage of it. We took shots too quickly. I hope we learned from it.”
The Balers showed good balance on offense, which could put them in good stead in the upcoming TCAL and Central Coast Section playoffs. Nik Barr and Lucas Zepeda had three goals each, while Greg Wilson and Danny Valenzuela had two goals each. Greg Henneman, Zach Gautney and Robbie Shattuck had one goal apiece.
Goalie Brannon Wynn had several saves, including two critical ones, according to Agan.
Now, about that TCAL tourney. All seeds are set. No. 4 Salinas and No. 7 Gilroy meet at Gilroy High next Wednesday, as does No. 5 Monterey and No. 6 Carmel. The two winners tangle on Nov. 8 at Live Oak with the victor serving as the Balers’ Saturday semifinal opponent as the TCAL’s stay at Live Oak for the final day. That match is at 10 a.m. The No. 2 Acorns meet No. 3 Stevenson at 8 a.m. The boys champion will be determined in a 3 p.m. match.
The Baler girls will know their seeding after today’s home match with Live Oak. The TCAL’s are similar to the boys with the championship preceding the boys at 2 p.m.
Agan’s aquatic stars are in the 32-team Monta Vista Tournament this weekend. Four different venues will be used. The Balers will begin the tournament vs. Los Altos at Los Altos at 2 p.m. The last time those teams met, Hollister fell to the Eagles 14-6. Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo-Atherton round out the Balers’ pool, so to speak…..
At Mattson Gym Wednesday, that red hot Baler volleyball team cruised by Gilroy 15-7, 15-6, 15-2 to run its TCAL record to 8-0.
“We served the ball well,” said Baler coach Larry Nabzeska, whose club is 26-4 overall. “We haven’t done that in awhile.”
Kaylie Kortsen had 13 kills, while Kim Dabo and Jacky Denton had 10 and 9 kills, respectively. Jenny Denton had 33 assists, despite playing with a sore wrist.
And despite their nation-catching win over Mitty, the Balers failed to crack the Fab 50, just released on Wednesday by John Tawa.
“We lost to Presentation,” said Nabzeska. “That’s what did it.”
The Monarchs were ranked 19th. The Balers did make Tawa’s “teams to watch” list. Odds are strong the Monarchs and Balers will meet again in the CCS Division I playoffs.
Fans of Baler volleyball have two chances to see their favorite team next week. After next Tuesday’s travel date to Salinas, the Balers welcome Aptos on Wednesday in a non-league match. Then Notre Dame visits on Thursday in the final TCAL match. That should be a good one.
Right now, it’s rest for the banged up Balers……
And remember, Saturday, Baler fans can enjoy a rare cross-country/football doubleheader. The TCAL championships are at Toro Park in southwest Salinas with five divisions starting in the morning. The varsity girls are at 1:30 p.m., while the varsity boys at 2:30 p.m.
Then it’s on to the Salinas Sports Complex where the Baler gridders are in a must win game with North Salinas. The Vikes possess one of the fastest runners in the CCS in junior Ronnie Drummer. Look for previews of both events in Friday’s Free Lance.
As you were.
