The San Benito Haybalers boys volleyball team has a new coach
and an entirely new starting rotation.
The defending Tri-County Athletic League champs are now headed
by Erica Richardson, and led on the court by three returning
members from last season’s team.
The learning curve has been expanded, but that doesn’t mean
Richardson is going to stand for subpar production.
GILROY
The San Benito Haybalers boys volleyball team has a new coach and an entirely new starting rotation.
The defending Tri-County Athletic League champs are now headed by Erica Richardson, and led on the court by three returning members from last season’s team.
The learning curve has been expanded, but that doesn’t mean Richardson is going to stand for subpar production.
“I have a fresh team with three returning non-starters. We are starting from scratch with big shoes to fill,” Richardson said. “I’m actually glad that most of those players are gone because we can start over and people won’t say, ‘Oh, well she stepped into a winning team.’ No, I stepped into a new team and we are going to win.”
However, the Balers have had a sluggish start to 2010, dropping their first two matches of the season, including a 25-19, 25-17, 25-11 defeat to Gilroy on Tuesday night — their first league loss in over a year.
“I’m not upset,” Richardson said. “I can see what we have to work with. It’s attitude and mechanics. They have the heart to play and they want to play but their skills and aggressiveness aren’t there. Once we get them meaner, basically, and more under control, I definitely think we will do much better.”
The Balers could never string together a quality scoring run Tuesday night, often losing steam midway through the matches and allowing the Mustangs to easily capture match victories with unforced errors.
“I know we have to work on a lot of stuff,” senior Alex Alvarez said. “Our energy was up but it’s just simple, simple mistakes that hurt in the end. And those add up.”
Alvarez finished the night with two kills, two blocks and a service ace.
The Balers kept matters close in games one and two, staying within two points at 13-11 in both cases. But in each instance, the Mustangs embarked on 5-1 runs to cushion their leads late in the matches.
“We have a lot of young guys,” Alvarez said. “They are athletic, but you have to have some mechanics. We can’t go down in three games. We have to put one up. That can’t go down like that.”
Jakob Rice tallied a team-high seven kills, James Flook posted two kills and Kevin Thome had two as well.
League play will continue Thursday night with the Balers hosting Gonzales. San Benito then opens up the Aptos Spring Fling tournament on Saturday.
