Hollister’s league record now stands at 3-0 following Tuesday
night’s win over Live Oak in straight games
Hollister – Up two games to none against Live Oak at home on Tuesday night, the San Benito High volleyball team found itself down 15-20 and looked to be headed for a fourth game against the scrappy Acorns.
‘Baler head coach Dean Askanas called a timeout once the gap on the scoreboard reached five points and got his players in the huddle.
Whatever he said must have turned his team’s competitive fire back on because when the Haybalers walked back out onto the court after the break, it was clear that they weren’t going to give up the third game without a fight.
Morgan O’Laughlin made it 16-20 with a perfectly placed tip into the open court. Shortly after, J.T. Temperino rifled a kill down the line to make the score 18-20. Temperino and Emily Kortsen took turns bombing shots at the Live Oak front line until the score was all evened up at 22. Hollister took the lead on the next point when Chelsea Fowles blocked a shot for a score, forcing the Acorns to take a timeout.
But the match’s momentum belonged to Hollister at that point and the Haybalers had little trouble putting the match away on three-straight points, the last coming by way of another big kill from Temperino to cap off the victory in three games, 25-21, 25-21 and 25-22.
“They’ve really got a lot of fight in them,” Said Askanas of his team after Tuesday’s match. “Even when they’re down, they scrap their way back. This match was tough all the way through. In that third set, we were down 20-15 and they did a great job of fighting their way back.”
The match was close most of the way despite the fact that the Acorns are an experienced group with only two seniors in their starting lineup. But when Live Oak made a mistake, the Haybalers were able to cash in. If an Acorn front-line player got out of position on defense, the ‘Balers would recognize and pull off a tip shot to the open court on their first touch.
The second game of the match saw the Acorns once again stay close to the ‘Balers early on. But Hollister began to pull away on a nice kill by Bri Romero followed by a block and a score from Fowles and O’Laughlin. The ‘Balers made it 15-11 on a smart move by Bri Romero, who fooled the Live Oak defense by faking a big spike and instead tipping it softly over the outstretched arms of a pair of Acorns.
“It’s something we talk about, playing from the first whistle to the last whistle,” Askanas said. “And I think that tonight’s match was a good example of us improving in that direction.”
With its first three league matches of the season conquered, the Haybalers are looking like a strong contender for a Tri-County Athletic League title in 2005. Everyone on the team seems to be on the same page and the chemistry that the Haybalers have developed this season could go a long way in helping the ‘Balers go deep into the postseason.
“After our preseason, I knew we were going to start league off really well,” said ‘Baler outside hitter J.T. Temperino. “We have really good chemistry together right now, everyone gets along and we’re starting to gel on the court. Our practices are just as intense as our games and it shows when we play.”
San Benito’s next opponent will be Sobrato on Thursday in Morgan Hill.
