Golfer Erik Justesen qualifes for CCS; softball loses 5-1
After watching Hollister take the first meeting of the teams this year to five games, the Tri-County Athletic League leading Live Oak didn’t want to take any chances and won easily in three games Wednesday night.
Live Oak (21-9, 11-0 TCAL) remained perfect in the league with the 15-6, 15-4, 15-2 win.
Drew Pearson had seven kills for the Acorns. and Chris Deem had five kills. Terry Sullivan, the other middle also blocked well.
“It was quite a change from last time we played them,” said Live Oak coach John Telfer . “They are the best blocking team we played. My players took it as a challenge because they consider themselves as a top blocking team. We outblocked them that’s for sure.”
Deem and Ryan Sullivan combined in the middle to shut down Hollister’s Brandon Wynn and limited him to five kills.
“Chris is quick,” Telfer said. “He is always in third of fourth place in the suicide drills we run in practice. He is just so tall, he looks like he is moving slow. He has a good first three steps, which is what you need in volleyball.”
Eric Telfer had three aces, and Sampson Chan dropped in two.
“We uncharacteristicly had a lot of serve errors the first time we played them,” Telfer said. “It was the complete oppositite this time. We might have had two or three this time whereas last time we had 11 or 12.”
Hollister coach Henke Mao is a Morgan Hill resident who coaches the open gym every Sunday at Britton.
“Henke in an ironic way is instrumental in a lot of these guys being the solid hitters they are,” Telfer said.
The Acorns have a deep team and may have what it takes to make a run.
“It seems like we have a lot of weapons and a lot of go-to guys,” Telfer said. “A lot of teams have one or two guys that they will predicably go to over and over. Everyone on this team is hitting right now. That is going to make it tough for teams to defend us down the road.”
Chan in his roll as setter has been consistant and precise this year, allowing the Acorns to set up plays.
“This is his first year setting,” Telfer said. “That was a question mark coming into the season. But he stepped it up. We are not only tall but we have some athleticsm which has allowed us to run a couple more plays now than we were earlier in the season, which makes it hard for teams to key on their blocks.”
Although this year’s version of the Acorns is much taller than the undeafed team of 2000, there are still similarities, Telfer said.
“This team has better height and is a better blocking team,” Telfer said. “I think I got just as much of depth in hitting. What it doesn’t have to the level that that team had was the outstanding passing and digging.”
The tallest guy on the 2000 team was Chris Deem’s 6-foot-6 brother Grant. And Grant didn’t play much because he didn’t have the athleticsm Chris had, Telfer said. There were a couple 6-foot-1 guys on the team, but that was about all for height. This year there are four players over 6-foot-3. Backrow specialist Josh Valdez is the only player short than six feet.
“A little bit has to do with our size – that team was extremely athletic and quick and ran play after play after play,” Telfer said. “This team just says ‘We’re tall, we’re big and we’re going to hit over the top of you.’ There is no one in CCS that has our size.”
“We are starting to run more deception-type plays so they can’t just key on the tall guys,” Telfer added. “Early in the season, we were pretty predicable. We weren’t giving our setters good passes early in the season. Those plays have to be technically perfect with the timing. Lately we have been passing with pinpoint accuracy.”
Live Oak plays at Salinas on Friday night, Salinas did pick up a former Palma High player that could compliment the one really strong hitter – Christian Taylor, who has a athletic scholship to Air Force.
Live Oak squares off with Gilroy in Gilroy’s home coming Wednesday. If the Mustangs win, they would both be tied for first in TCAL, but Gilroy would hold the higher seed for winning the second match, which acts as a tie breaker.
“We got to worry about defending their good hitters,” Telfer said. “Jay (Mendenceles) is the best outside hitter in league. We did a decent job on him, but he is so athletic, and they can move him around. We will be prepared for that. We got to continue to serve and serve receive well, which we have been doing well recently.”
The Live Oak JV team is also undefeated at 10-0 with the Gilroy team right behind.
Golf
CARMELL VALLEY – The Live Oak golf team finished in sixth place in the Tri-County Athletic League final with a score of 332 in the breezy League Finals Tuesday at Quail Lodge GC in Carmel Valley.
North Salinas finished ahead of Live Oak with a score of 324. Salinas won the tourney, recording a 311.
Overall, Live Oak finished in fifth place in the league with 29 points. Palma won the league with 19.
Live Oak’s Erick Justesen, who scored three-over at 75, will be competing as one of the top three individuals from the league in the Central Coast Section Regional on May 5 at Rancho Canada West. He finished with the league’s overall low.
Softball
Live Oak lost to Hollister 5-1 at home Wednesday afternoon. Danielle Hernandez pitched a three hitter for the Balers. Freshman Alyssa Adamo picked up two of those hits after going 2-for-3 in the game. Live Oak (6-12, 1-8 TCAL) will play at North Salinas on May 5.
