At first it looked liked nerves for the second-consecutive year might get the best of the San Benito volleyball team in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs.
But then the Balers (21-13) turned to a pair of captains to change the early tide against Milpitas. Both Erica Chapa and Ellie Burley emerged and slowly San Benito started to take more and more control of Wednesday’s first round match.
The Balers rode that late momentum to a three-game sweep of Milpitas (25-18, 25-9, 25-13) and a berth into the second round of the CCS playoffs for the first time in two years. It sets up a second-round match between the No. 6 Balers versus No. 3 Menlo-Atherton (24-7) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
It wasn’t the Balers best effort, but it was good enough, head coach Dean Askanas said.
“We are going to have to play so much better to make a move,” he said. “The next team we are playing is at so much higher of a level. I thought it wasn’t that fantastic tonight. We won but we will have to play at a higher level.”
After nerves hurt the Balers early – forcing SBHS to fall behind as much as 3-6 – San Benito started to take advantage of the opportunities from Milpitas, who struggled to pass and hit the ball effectively.
Overall, it was a sloppy first game from both teams, as the stage amplified mistakes. The teams combined for 18 violations and unforced errors in the first set.
“Well I feel like we were really nervous at the beginning of the game,” Burley said. “I know I was. It’s my senior year and I didn’t want to lose so I was nervous. After the first game I got my jitters out and just went out there and played the best I could and help my team out.”
Burley started to find her rhythm in the second set, as San Benito started to take control in all phases. The Balers struck for four second-set aces and Burley scored five of her 11 kills for San Benito.
The scoring, though, didn’t come from just Burley, but the entire team. San Benito finished the contest with five players with at least four kills.
“We played as a team today,” Burley said. “Not one person did better than another. We played as the team.”
Chapa led the way with a game high 11 kills but Burley was close behind with 10 kills. Haley Leifhelt, Savanna Wilson and Alexandria Smallwood all finished with four kills for the Balers.
“I’m always glad when I see that,” Askanas said. “The more multidimensional we are, the better… In the big scheme of things, if you compare us to the higher level teams we are kind of small. We need to be able to move it around. We don’t want to be tripled blocked on one hitter and stuff. We want to keep the guessing a little.”
Wednesday’s win showcased the team’s steady improvement over the course of the year, he said. But in order to advance beyond the second round, the team still has work to do.
“I think the whole season has been a good season,” Askanas said. “And this reflects how good of a season that we’ve had. Of course, you always want to move on. I’m nervous. I want us to play better. But I’m proud of them.”
The team, though, doesn’t have look far for motivation, Chapa said. It only needs to look at its six seniors led by all-leaguers Burley and Raelynn Heredia.
“We had to redeem ourselves for our last game,” Chapa said. “Last year, we got out in the first round. This year we want it and we have a great team this year. Our seniors want it. We have a lot of seniors so we are doing it for them.”
She continued: “I just think we did good tonight and I’m ready for the rest of the playoffs.”
