Romero is injured in game 4 as Foothill rallies for NorCal
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Pleasanton – The look on Bri Romero’s face told the story as she helplessly watched from the bench Tuesday.
After helping San Benito take a two games to one lead and a 9-7 lead in the fourth game, the junior outside hitter screamed out in pain as she hobbled off the court with a knee injury.
She never returned and the ‘Balers hopes of a state championship went down with her as Foothill rallied to beat San Benito 21-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12 in the Northern California Division I girls volleyball finals and advance to Saturday’s 5pm state title game.
“It makes it 10 times harder,” coach Dean Askanas said of the circumstances surrounding the loss. “It looked like we were really in the driver’s seat.”
Despite losing Romero in the fourth game, the ‘Balers still had their chances, holding a lead as late as 16-15 and only once trailing by more than two points.
But a tip kill by Betsy Sedlak finally clinched the fourth game for the Falcons at 25-23.
Even after dropping the first two points of the decisive fifth game, San Benito bounced back. Junior opposite Emily Kortsen had three kills and two aces in an early stretch to push the ‘Balers in front 6-5.
A kill by Morgan O’Laughlin later gave San Benito a two-point lead at 9-7 and San Benito led all the way through to 11-10, when Foothill scored three straight points to take the lead.
A big block by junior middle blocker Ali Sharp cut the deficit to one, but two straight Sedlak kills gave the Falcons the NorCal title and a shot at Southern California champion Los Alamitos in the state title game.
“It’ll take about a year – until we get back again,” Askanas said of how long it will take to get over this loss. “It’s a rough way to lose. It’s like we handed it to them. It’s hard to be a gracious loser.”
San Benito started the night off by putting Foothill in a position it hadn’t been all season – trailing.
The Falcons, who are unbeaten at 38-0 and swept their way through the North Coast Section and the first two rounds of the NorCal playoffs, couldn’t handle a Sharp serve on game point and the ‘Balers jumped in front with a 25-21 win.
San Benito looked to take a big advantage and held a 9-6 lead in the second game.
Three straight kills by Sedlak tied the match and it stayed close until a 5-0 Foothill run made it 24-18.
The ‘Balers stayed alive with two straight points but a kill by Sedlak gave Foothill a 25-20 win to knot the match at a game apiece.
The third game was rarely in doubt as San Benito regained control.
The ‘Balers got two aces from senior setter Chelsea Fowles while beginning the game with a 6-0 run. Foothill closed to 7-6, but that was as close as it got.
San Benito led by as much as nine before an O’Laughlin kill off a Fowles assist sealed a 25-17 win and gave it the 2-1 lead in the match.
That proved to be as far as the ‘Balers could push it after losing Romero, who has been a defensive star for San Benito all season and was the team leader in digs.
“I can’t even explain how I felt,” Fowles said of the emotions of watching Romero go down.
While the loss was a disappointing one, it merely brings an end to an incredible ride for San Benito, which went 33-8 and won its first ever Central Coast Section volleyball crown.
“It definitely was a great season,” Fowles said. “I don’t think we could’ve asked for more.”
