Cabrillo Defeats Grossmont, 3-1, To Open Up The State Tourney
CCCAA State Women's Volleyball Championships
at Cabrillo College
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Cabrillo averted game point four times in a marathon opening set and won the battle of the unbeatens in four sets over Grossmont. The defending state champion Seahawks extended their winning streak to 62 matches dating back to 2012. Cabrillo advanced to the winner's bracket final later Saturday evening.
The Griffins had their 28-match winning streak stopped after last losing in four sets against the same Cabrillo team in the 2013 championship final. Grossmont will play in an elimination match on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Cabrillo took advantage of Grossmont serving issues as the Griffins made 17 errors to just four by the Seahawks. Grossmont did convert 11 aces (three by Rachel Linden) while Cabrillo had eight (two each by Kelsey Shaver and Cassandra Covington).
In the opening set, Grossmont led 24-22 before Shaver served an ace that at first was called out by the linesman. However, the referee overruled the play as the ball hit the linesman who was positioned inbounds.
From that point, Grossmont would take leads of 25-24 and 26-25, but Cabrillo countered to take a 27-26 lead on a wall block by Madison Borch and Tyler Gasologa. Two service errors by Grossmont allowed Cabrillo to force set point and a ball-handling error gave the Seahawks the pivotal opening set, 30-28. Ironically, the teams scored exactly how many wins each team had going into the match.
While Grossmont took the second set, it nearly let a 23-13 lead slip away as Cabrillo went on an 8-0 run. A kill by Vanessa Phyakeo allowed the Griffins to tie it (25-21) at 1-1.
In set 3, Cabrillo went on a 6-1 run that gave it a 10-5 lead, and never let go of the advantage to win 25-17. Up 2-1 in sets, Cabrillo and Grossmont traded points often in the fourth set. Cabrillo would go ahead 18-15, but the Griffins tied it at 20-20. The Seahawks rattled off five straight points capped by a kill by Shaver for match point.
Cabrillo was led by Shaver, last year's tournament MVP, with 14 kills (10 attack errors in 41 attempts), 10 digs and four blocks. Alex Flores added 11 kills while Gasologa made 35 assists, three kills, three blocks and seven digs.
"That was a real mental shift in the match," Cabrillo head coach Gabby Houston-Neville said of the reversed call in the opening set. "Alex Flores rose to the occasion for us, and her game is peaking at the right time. Gasologa stayed steady throughout and played a great match. Having the experience at last year's tournament, our sophomores were prepared and kept their poise later in the match. The ones who were reserves for us a year ago and returned were hungry too."
Grossmont was led by All-American Lexi Reddick, who pounded a match-high 18 kills and made 12 digs. Phyakeo added nine kills, five blocks and eight digs while Brooke Callahan had eight kills and three blocks. Libero Megan Angerstein added 15 digs, seven assists and two aces.
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA/CCCAA State WVB SID, rmlewis@pasadena.edu; 818-679-1335