I never did give the San Benito girls volleyball team their
proper congrats after winning the Tri-County Athletic League in
spirited fashion on Tuesday night in Salinas.
Well ladies, congrats.
I never did give the San Benito girls volleyball team their proper congrats after winning the Tri-County Athletic League in spirited fashion on Tuesday night in Salinas.
Well ladies, congrats.
The Lady ‘Balers took the TCAL crown when they defeated Notre Dame in four games, and the crowd was so loud and raucous that even if we could feel Tuesday’s earthquake, I don’t think anyone ever would have noticed it.
It was the season finale for San Benito, and after both teams had played in at least 10 games a piece, both teams entered with one loss on their record.
And that is why they play the games, folks.
Whoever walked off the gymnasium floor at Notre Dame victoriously Tuesday would also walk off with a league title in their hands.
And while San Benito won in four games, the match and the league basically revolved around the make-or-break third game.
Both San Benito and Notre Dame were knotted 1-1 for the third game, but the host Spirits had won the previous game, so there was a definite edge in momentum in favor of the home team. And with the earthquake-like crowd backing them, the cards were stacked against the Lady ‘Balers.
For a season finale, with San Benito off to the Central Coast Section volleyball championships, you really couldn’t have asked for a better setting.
Notre Dame jumped out to a 5-1 lead, while the four-point differential was the largest margin either team had in the third game. San Benito battled back, and the two teams were tied at 10-10, 12-12 and 20-20.
But just when you thought the game was over, just when the Spirits held a game-point 24-21 lead on the Lady ‘Balers, San Benito pulled you back in.
Bri Romero? Kill.
Justine Hunter? Ace.
Emily Kortsen? Kill.
Rather reminiscent to their league opener against Gilroy on Sept. 18 when San Benito trailed the Mustangs 23-19 in the third game, only to see Romero hit six straight kills for a San Benito sweep, the Lady ‘Balers had their collective backs pushed to the wall Tuesday, and at the last moment, they pushed back.
They went on to win 28-26, and finished the deciding third game with a rather impressive Ali Sharp/Emily Kortsen fake-out kill (That’s the only way I can describe it. If it sounds cool, that’s only because it was).
Although there were seven ties in the fourth game, Notre Dame clearly had a little wind knocked out of them from the exhausting third game.
Coach Dean Askanas said afterward that San Benito played with moxie, which is a great word not used nearly enough.
Moxie, indeed.
n As the saying goes, a correction is a correction is a correction.
In Thursday’s Free Lance, it was reported that the San Benito girls water polo team defeated Salinas 5-4 behind the goaltending of Sarah Yoldi.
All true.
Coach Lacey Sutton said that they’ll be playing in the TCAL championship at Santa Catalina at noon today.
Once again, still very true.
But I made the connection that they’d be playing Santa Catalina at Santa Catalina in the championship, which at the time, wasn’t official yet.
Santa Catalina hadn’t played their semifinal match against Gilroy on Friday, and so any connection made was my fault. The Free Lance regrets the error.
Granted, Santa Catalina defeated Gilroy 14-4 in their match Friday, and they’ll battle San Benito in today’s TCAL championship.
I guess if I had to make an error, I’m happy that I made one that turned out to be true.
