Lady ‘Balers volleyball has ups, downs at Notre Dame-Salinas
tourney, finishes 2-2
HOLLISTER
The San Benito boys water polo team delivered a pair of lopsided wins before falling two goals short of Leland in the final at the Monterey Bay Tournament last Saturday, supplying the host Haybalers with a runner-up standing at the eight-team invitational.
Scores from San Benito’s first two games – against Robert Louis Stevenson and Mount Pleasant – were not reported, although Coach Tom Agan said they were both comfortable wins for the ‘Balers.
In the championship, San Benito fell on the short end of an 8-6 match with Leland.
“They looked rusty. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Agan said. “But I’m also seeing a lot of potential. If we can get there, we might actually have something for Salinas and Carmel.
“I’m fairly optimistic at this point, but we’ve got our work cut out for us to get there.”
Both Salinas and Carmel competed in the tournament, as did San Lorenzo Valley and Pioneer. It was the first action for the ‘Balers this season.
It was also the first look at the new 30-second shot clock (which was reduced from 35 seconds), and Agan said his team adapted fairly well. Noting his team’s strong counterattack during Saturday’s contests, which could very well be the x-factor in discussing a teams success under the new 30-second shot clock, Agan says the counter will be an area in need of continual improvement.
As for Salinas and Carmel, two teams expected to be at the top of the Tri-County Athletic League this season, Agan said they’ll both be solid this year.
“But I’m fairly thrilled to see us in the ball park,” said Agan, whose Haybalers finished ahead of both league rivals at this tournament. “It’s nice to know we’re in the mix.”
San Benito Girls Volleyball
At Salinas, the San Benito girls volleyball team finished seventh out of 13 teams at a tournament at Notre Dame last Saturday, compiling a 2-2 record.
Coach Dean Askanas felt his team lost to opponents they should have beaten, but then again, also won matches they weren’t expected to win.
In their first match, San Benito lost to Carmel in three games – the third game by a score of 15-13. They rebounded to defeat Aptos in three games – 16-14 in the third game – but then lost to Monterey in two games. The Lady ‘Balers closed out the tournament with a two-game sweep over league rival North Salinas.
North Salinas was rumored to be a favorite this season for the Tri-County Athletic League crown, while Aptos took runner-up at the tournament behind Presentation.
On Monday at practice, Askanas relayed an analogy to his team.
“We’re a blue-collar team,” he said. “We have to get our hands dirty every time if we want to get paid.
“If a mechanic doesn’t get his hands greasy, the car isn’t going to get fixed. If we don’t get our hands dirty playing ball, we aren’t going to win.”
Not able to rely on power hitters as in year’s past, Askanas wants his team playing “super focused” and “super hard,” seeking improvement from the offense while also looking to build upon team passing and serve-receive. Anything less, the coach said, and it won’t happen in the win column.
