There will be a full lunar eclipse Thursday, and the Live Oak
volleyball team will hope other strange things can happen during
the Central Coast Section first round of the playoffs.
There will be a full lunar eclipse Thursday, and the Live Oak volleyball team will hope other strange things can happen during the Central Coast Section first round of the playoffs.
Live Oak earned the 13th seed in the playoffs after going undefeated in the Tri-County Athletic League and finishing with the sixth best overall winning percentage in CCS at 23-9. It won’t be easy for the Acorns when they face the Aptos Mariners (28-8, 8-2) at 7 p.m at home. The only two losses for Aptos in the tough Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League came against league front runner Mount Madonna, who received the No. 2 spot in CCS.
“I think by far the Santa Cruz league is the toughest one out there,” said Live Oak coach John Telfer. “Last year, the two finalists were from that league. The first three teams (in CCS) are way up there, and then you have maybe a slight drop off to Aptos. Then there is a dropoff to the rest of the pack.”
The last time Live Oak lost a game was when it finished 2-2 in the Alisal tournament on April 5. Aptos has won the last two games. Live Oak is coming off of a 15-7, 14-16 15-5, 15-5 defeat of Alisal Friday and has won eight games in a row. The Acorns, who earned a home-field advantage by winning the league, have been perfect at home this year.
“We saw them for just a few minutes during a tournament,” Telfer said. “They have good outside hitters and one very good middle. It will be an offense like we haven’t faced since we played Mount Madonna of Bullard. We are hoping our float serves will throw them off tempo. Eighty percent of players on teams like this have played club volleyball.”
The Mariners rely heavily on blocking to win games. The team uses a 5-1 offense, where the setter sets all the way around. The Mariners do have some height on the team with 6-foot-6 senior Chris Doerksen, 6-4 junior Tommy Kaysen and 6-foot-2 senior Craig Webber. All three of those players are normally about even in kills. Setter Erron Winsor is the assist leader and also plays solid defense.
“We got some strong hitters, and they (Live Oak) got strong blockers; so it will make a good matchup,” said Aptos coach Jonah Carson. “Of the eight guys who play, only two of them under six feet, and they are 5-10.”
Coach Jonah and his Mariners will see what the waters hold, while Live Oak will try to be the big fish that swallows Jonah.
“You got to play your game,” Carson said. “I don’t know of anything that needs to change. We do a lot of things well. I wouldn’t say we are great at anything. We expect them to show up ready to go reinforced by rowdy fans. We will be ready to play too.”
Live Oak will be hungary after coming up empty in its only other two CCS appearances.
“We expect to see a ton of jump serves – something we don’t see in our league a whole lot,” Telfer said. “The pressure will be on the favorite. If we can apply pressure and keep the game close it will get tighter and tighter, and that is when anything can happen.”
The Acorns will need a little help against one of the top teams in the area and will try to be the big fish in the dark water.
