Despite 26 kills from Katherine Breger, the San Benito girls
volleyball team was unable to avenge a three-set loss to Notre Dame
from earlier this month, as the host Spirits defeated the Balers
Thursday night in five sets (25-22, 27-25, 23-25, 17-25,
15-10).
SALINAS
Despite 26 kills from Katherine Breger, the San Benito girls volleyball team was unable to avenge a three-set loss to Notre Dame from earlier this month, as the host Spirits defeated the Balers Thursday night in five sets (25-22, 27-25, 23-25, 17-25, 15-10).
“We played really well,” head coach Dean Askanas said. “But they just got us in the end.”
The Balers are now 4-6 in the Tri-County Athletic League, 13-15 overall.
After narrowly falling in the first two games, San Benito battled back to knot the match at 2-all to seize the momentum entering the fifth and deciding set.
But neither team was able to take control in the fifth game, said Askanas, who felt both teams played uptight in the final set.
“It was error after error,” he said.
Askanas later added, “It was a game of nerves in Game 5, I thought.”
The five-set loss, however, was in stark contrast to the three-set loss San Benito suffered against Notre Dame on Oct. 5, when the visiting Spirits dominated the Balers in Hollister.
That wasn’t the case on Thursday in Salinas, though.
“It was lights-out in three sets at home, but I thought this match was ours to take,” Askanas said. “The two games we lost in the beginning were right there for us to take. But I think we’ve improved a lot and I think Katherine Breger is a big part of that.”
Breger had 13 digs to go along with her 23 kills, which came on a total of 80 swings Thursday night.
“That’s a lot of swings,” said Askanas, noting that a normal amount of swings is 40. “She was amazing.”
Ellie Burley chimed in with 11 kills, while Ryan Asp added nine kills. Jessica Steigelman, meanwhile, had what Askanas felt was the best match of her prep career so far, as she contributed 11 blocks.
“I’ve never seen anyone block like that before,” Askanas said.
Raelynn Heredia had 46 assists and eight digs in the loss, where as Sara Yamasaki and Mari Vallejo added 21 digs and 12 digs, respectively.
San Benito will compete at Spikefest II this weekend in Milpitas. The Balers will be in a bracket with Alisal, Milpitas and Central Valley Christian of Visalia.
San Benito will open the tournament against the Visalia school, which currently boasts a 19-2 overall record.
