Live Oak begins run at the Mount Hamilton title, and possibly
more, Tuesday with three-set win over defending co-champ Evergreen
Valley; also, Sobrato outlasts Oak Grove for first win to open
Santa Teresa Division play
MORGAN HILL — The secret is out. Live Oak has its sights set on much more than the Mount Hamilton Division girls volleyball title this fall.
The Acorns looked very much intent on winning their first pennant in nine years Tuesday while dispensing of last year’s co-champion, Evergreen Valley, 25-17, 25-15, 25-22, on the first night of league play. But to Live Oak, the Mount Hamilton crown is simply means to something greater: an inside track to the Central Coast Section Division III final.
The Acorns (4-5 overall, 1-0 league) have the size, athleticism and chemistry to possibly go where no volleyball team from Live Oak High School has gone. More importantly, they have the drive to improve. That was the underlying theme of postgame interviews Tuesday in the LOHS Gym; a tell-tale sign of the Acorns’ expectations for 2010.
“We could have done much better,” junior libero Alli Unger said. “We kind of didn’t play our game. We played to their level.”
Acorns young and old are following the lead of the team’s determined seniors such as Gabi Cinkova, who had eight kills, six digs and three blocks at outside hitter. The 6-foot southpaw showed no lingering effects from her past battle with tendinitis in her left shoulder.
“Gabi is definitely the strongest she’s been,” junior middle blocker Katie Obbema said. “She has a great mentality, being a senior and wanting to win CCS. It’s really helping us. It pushes everyone.”
Live Oak was in control from the first whistle. The Cougars, who returned few starters from last year’s championship squad, were out of sync most of the game and stymied by the blocking of Allison Shedden and Obbema, and the spry defensive work of Unger (nine digs). Shedden had three blocks, and Obbema finished with three kills, three blocks, two digs and a pair of aces.
Acorns senior setter Alyssa Brusaschetti collected 13 assists, including five in the third set when LOHS coach Laura Coleman emptied her bench. Brusaschetti was well in tune with her hitters.
“They’re the exact team we faced last year — another year older and another year better,” said Evergreen Valley coach Dio Aguinaldo, whose team received 10 kills by Raquel Orosa, 15 assists by Shannon Ponce and 13 digs by Courtney Lam. “We’re a very young team, so we’re just trying to build some confidence. That’s the most important thing to have. (Live Oak) has it.”
So much that Coleman did not call a timeout in Game 3, opting to let her team work its way through the close finish.
“This is the time to make mistakes and learn, so you don’t do them in bigger games later on,” she said. “We’re happy we got a solid win and got everyone into the game.”
As Unger mentioned, the Acorns have a lingering problem to address. Playing to their opponent’s level worked well during hard-fought losses to quality programs like Los Altos and Notre Dame-San Jose in nonleague play, but it could lead to upsets down the road.
The Acorns continue league play at 6 p.m. Thursday at Del Mar.
“Ninety percent of teams (play to the opponent’s level). It’s one of the most difficult things to overcome,” said Coleman, whose team snapped a three-year playoff drought in 2009. “When you’re not getting rallies, and the momentum isn’t going, everything stops. It makes it harder to play your game.
“I haven’t figure it out yet. The girls just have to find a way to stay focused and be consistent.”
Champions always do.
Sobrato earns first win
Emily Kyle collected five kills, and Miranda Wertz had four Tuesday as the Sobrato Bulldogs opened Santa Teresa Division play by beating Oak Grove in a five-set thriller, 25-22, 17-25, 25-17, 17-25, 15-7, for their first win of the season.
The home win was a confidence boost for the Bulldogs, who had a tough nonleague schedule.
“We played some great teams and got a lot of close-match experience. That definitely helped us (Tuesday),” Sobrato coach Danny Chan said. “The girls are practicing hard and just focusing on playing as good as they can.”
Kyle, a sophomore, and Wertz, a freshman, had coming-of-age performances.
“Both really stepped up,” Chan said. “Miranda’s been hitting the ball really well, and Emily is getting more and more consistent with her hitting. We expect big things from them this year.”
Silver Creek hosts the Bulldogs at 6 p.m. Thursday.
