It turned out to be harder than expected but nothing, it seems,
has come easy for the Live Oak High girls volleyball team this
season anyway. Healthy for one of the first times this season, the
Acorns were on their way to what appeared to be an easy, three-game
victory against underdog Monta Vista in the first round of the
Central Coast Section playoffs on Wednesday night. But the Matadors
didn
’t just step aside for the Acorns, pushing them to a fourth game
before the host squad dismissed them 25-19, 25-17, 21-25,
25-19.
It turned out to be harder than expected but nothing, it seems, has come easy for the Live Oak High girls volleyball team this season anyway.
Healthy for one of the first times this season, the Acorns were on their way to what appeared to be an easy, three-game victory against underdog Monta Vista in the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs on Wednesday night.
But the Matadors didn’t just step aside for the Acorns, pushing them to a fourth game before the host squad dismissed them 25-19, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19.
“I knew that was going to happen and I was ready to kill them,” LO coach Laura Coleman said. “The saving grace is we only lost one game. We usually have a hiccup in the second game, but this time it was the third game. You never know with these girls.”
Live Oak (19-15 overall) was clearly more talented than Monta Vista (13-20), and showed its dominance for most of the first two games.
Led by their big front line of Tiven Catrett, Juliette Bowers, Kristen Russ, and Katerina Cinkova, the Acorns overcame an early 8-4 deficit to take control of the opening game with a 17-6 run to take control of the match. The Acorns held the momentum heading into the second game, taking a 21-10 lead en route to a win.
With a chance to end things early, LO relaxed a bit in the third game against a suddenly energized Matador squad.
Game 4 saw Monta Vista hang close until the midway point, when LO pulled away behind Lindsay Barger, who served seven straight points in one rally, and Russ, who had four kills in the same string.
Russ led the Acorns with 16 kills, while Catrett added 13.
Live Oak advances to play league rival Salinas, the second seed which beat LO two of three times this season, in the second round on Saturday at 11am at North Salinas High.
Catrett said the team’s goal is simple after last year’s remarkable postseason run.
“We got real close to a banner last time,” she said. “(Winning one is) our goal this year.”
