‘Dig Pink’ match raises more than $4,000 for research; Acorns
sweep Bulldogs
MORGAN HILL — The latest Live Oak-Sobrato meeting in volleyball wasn’t the hard-fought, heavyweight bout we have come to expect from the Morgan Hill rivals, not that competition was the most important aspect of Saturday’s game.
Both teams shared in success. A packed audience of pink-clad fans was on hand at Live Oak Gym to watch the Acorns and Bulldogs play a Dig Pink match to raise money for breast cancer research.
Live Oak coach Laura Coleman, who organized the event, said it raised more than $4,000 in proceeds, including a $2,500 donation from The Hugh Stuart Center Charitable Trust of San Jose.
“We had a lot of people out here just like we wanted. It was a lot of fun for the girls,” Coleman said. “It turned out how we hoped it would.”
The Acorns won 25-16, 25-11, 25-16 behind 14 kills by Fa Saulala and nine by Gabi Cinkova. Savanna Hartman and Allison Shedden added six blocks combined in place of starting middle Katie Obbema, who was out of town with her twin sister, opposite hitter Jenny Obbema.
The game did count in the standings, but the Bulldogs did not treat it as a loss.
“We would have liked to win, but we were just playing for fun and for a good cause,” said junior middle Jessica Westall, who had eight kills to lead Sobrato. “It’s always great when you play your rival. We all know each other.”
Coleman had that in mind when she began planning the event. She wants her team to annually play a Dig Pink match against Sobrato as long as the teams are in different leagues.
“The rivalry is the biggest part,” Coleman said. “Tons of people would have come out anyway.”
The game reflected both teams’ status heading into the second half of league play. The Acorns (12-5 overall, 8-0 league) are bearing down on their first Mount Hamilton Division title in nine years with a veteran lineup that gets deeper each game.
“They’re getting confidence in themselves,” she said. “We have to be consistent. That’s one thing we’re struggling with.”
Hartman, a sophomore, drew the most praise from teammates.
“She was everywhere,” Shedden said. “With Katie out, it made us want to try harder and push ourselves more. It was a good game for us overall.”
The Bulldogs (4-16, 4-4) have looked like a different team every night in the Santa Teresa Division, playing to the level of their opponent. They could not match Live Oak’s firepower and superior play.
“Live Oak came to play. They played hard the entire game and really looked great,” Sobrato outside hitter Andreya Simoneau said. “One of our biggest problems is, we think too much, and our mental game is not there. Once we stop thinking and doing what we’re taught to do, we start doing our best. That’s how we need to be.”
The will to improve is evident for both sides, heading into league action today. The Acorns host Del Mar, and the Bulldogs play Silver Creek at home.
“We have to keep giving it our all,” Live Oak setter Alyssa Brusaschetti said. “We can always get better.”
Live Oak and Sobrato have a year off before their next meeting — but donations for breast cancer research can still be made by visiting the teams’ websites at side-out.org.
