San Benito High girls volleyball coach Dean Askanas knows nothing comes easy in the Central Coast Section playoffs, especially in the Division I field.
But that’s exactly the way Askanas wants it.
“The playoffs should be tough,” he said. “That’s what makes it so rewarding if you can win and advance, because every team is tough and dangerous.”
The No. 4 seed Haybalers (19-15) earned a bye in the opening round and host No. 5 Sequoia-Redwood City (22-9) at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Balers, who finished in third place in the Monterey Bay League’s Gabilan Division with a 9-3 mark, have been a Jekyll and Hyde team from an energy standpoint all season.
In some matches, San Benito has played with tremendous verve and passion. In other cases, the team has come out flat. It’s a mystery even to Askanas, who hopes the team has saved its best performances for the postseason.
“I like the way we’ve played over the last couple of weeks,” Askanas said. “We had a big win over Notre Dame-Salinas (on Oct. 28), and I think it was very important because it showed they could prevail against quality teams. I think it’s a big confidence-booster.”
In that thrilling five-game win over Notre Dame—“We all celebrated like we won the world championship,” Askanas said—Balers outside hitter Marisa Villegas took 61 swings, including three on the final point alone to seal the outcome. Not surprisingly, Villegas’ arm was tired at the end of the fifth game, but the super sophomore found a way to terminate the ball when it counted the most.
Just as important, San Benito had six players all playing as one cohesive unit.
“We’re going to need that same type of effort on Saturday,” Askanas said. “Sequoia is a very good team, and we’re going to have our hands full. But if we can have everyone pulling together, from the girls on the floor to the girls on the bench, we can play pretty well.”
San Benito doesn’t have a dominating hitter who can carry a team on her back. That’s why Askanas said it’s all the more important for everyone to be on the same page and to play great defense so the team can grind out games.
Villegas and Ally Murphy have played at a high level throughout the season, and Askanas is particularly encouraged lately with the play of middle blocker Camille Finley, who impacts the game from an offensive and defensive standpoint.
The Balers’ two setters, freshman Kieley Hoskins and junior Lexi Chavarria, have also been solid. If the Balers can advance out of Saturday’s second-round match, they would face top-seed Menlo-Atherton, which went 14-0 in the Peninsula Athletic League’s top Bay Division, an A-league like the Gabilan. Sequoia, meanwhile, finished in third place in the PAL Bay with a 9-5 record.
“I think M-A is in a different league than everyone else,” Askanas said. “That’s the impression I’m getting from seeing their scores, their record and who they’ve played.”
