San Benito enjoys big win over rival, but believes rematch looms
in playoffs
n By Scott Campbell
Sports Editor
Belmont – Score one for the ‘Balers. A big one at that.
The San Benito girls’ volleyball team exacted vengeance on the mighty Carlmont Scots Thursday night, prevailing over the team that it lost to in the 2005 Central Coast Section Division I championship match. But even after his team played its way to the winning side of another five-game thriller, ‘Balers head coach Dean Askanas was quick to put his team’s victory in context.
“To me, it doesn’t count until it’s the (CCS) championship,” said Askanas, who fully expects San Benito (7-2) to see the Scots again in the playoffs. “We’re just in the middle of a big fight. Nothing’s been resolved. … We’ve got to keep our eye on the prize.”
Nevertheless, the ‘Balers’ 25-20, 20-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-12 triumph on the Scots’ court signifies a shift in the balance of the section’s Division I hierarchy. The last time these teams met, Carlmont denied San Benito the section title by taking the fifth game at 18-15.
Senior setter Chelsea Fowles said that crushing loss gave her team all the motivation it needed Thursday. “That was the main reason. We got our revenge,” said Fowles, who expertly directed the ‘Balers’ potent offense and served up several aces. “It’s amazing. It feels so good to finally beat them.”
In the rematch, albeit a preseason match 10 months after their last meeting, the ‘Balers used a balanced attack to top their rival. Star junior Emily Kortsen led San Benito with 22 kills, while outside hitters Morgan O’Laughlin and Bri Romero contributed 14 and 12 kills, respectively. The ‘Balers also got solid play from middle blockers Ali Sharp and Justine Hunter, with Hunter nailing a quick attack down the middle at match point to hand San Benito its third straight win.
Next, the ‘Balers head to the Menlo Tournament on Saturday, a double round-robin affair that includes CCS contenders Notre Dame-Belmont, Sacred Heart Prep, Harker and host Menlo. Just as the Milpitas-Independence Spikefest I did earlier this month, Askanas believes facing elite competition in Menlo will get San Benito the experience it needs come tournament time. And that means preparing for another showdown with Carlmont.
“I know it’s going to be just as hard when we face them in November,” Askanas said after Thursday’s win. “If anything, (the victory) makes me nervous because I know they’re going to get better and we have to get better.”
Fowles said she and her teammates would use the win as a springboard to push themselves to their ultimate goal.
“This is just preseason,” she said. “In November, it’s what really goes down in the record book. It’s winning CCS.”
