The San Benito High girls volleyball team dropped its third
straight match Thursday night when it was swept by host Menlo in
three games (15-25, 23-25, 14-25).
But despite what Thursday’s somewhat convincing scores may
suggest, San Benito head coach Dean Askanas said his team is making
progress.
HOLLISTER
The San Benito High girls volleyball team dropped its third straight match Thursday night when it was swept by host Menlo in three games (15-25, 23-25, 14-25).
Since defeating Harbor in three games last week, the Lady Balers have since lost to Homestead (26-24, 18-25, 13-25, 16-25) and Evergreen Valley (25-18, 21-25, 23-25, 21-25), putting it at 4-5 overall for the season.
But despite what Thursday’s somewhat convincing scores may suggest, San Benito head coach Dean Askanas said his team is making progress.
“You look at the scores and stuff and you can’t see it,” he said. “But I saw our pin hitters hit with more confidence.
“They started to swing with confidence and were giving the other team a hard time and it was encouraging.”
Emily Tonascia led the Lady Balers Thursday with a team-high six kills and four blocks, while three players chimed in with double-digit dig totals, including Sam Klauer (15), Sara Yamasaki (12) and Alisha Cornick (12), who also added 16 assists.
Mari Vallejo, meanwhile, had nine digs and Yamasaki had a pair of aces.
San Benito will open an invitational tournament at Harbor High this weekend. The Lady Balers are slated to play Santa Cruz at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, and will round out pool play against San Ramon and Carmel.
Bracketed play is scheduled to begin at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Askanas is hoping to see further development among his outside hitters at the Harbor invitational this weekend, San Benito’s final preseason tune-up before league play begins on Tuesday at home to Alisal.
The pin positions could be the key for San Benito to take the next step forward. Last year, when San Benito was without a consistent offense, Askanas opted for more defensive specialists on the floor, a “quick fix” that helped the Lady Balers remain competitive.
“But in the long run,” Askanas said, “we have more potential (this year) and we don’t have to do that.
“When they decide to hit with confidence they can do well, and that’s gonna be important in the long run. We set the bar high and we’re gonna keep it high. But we’re not taking any shortcuts.”
One common denominator among San Benito’s last three losses was the opponent boasted a single “major” outside hitter, Askanas said.
“But if we start swinging stronger, we don’t have to lose to a one-dimensional team,” the coach added.
“I think we’re on the brink of doing very well.”
