GILROY – Uncharacteristic service errors haunted the GHS girls
varsity volleyball team, disrupting the flow of its offense in a
15-25, 25-23, 15-25, 17-25 loss to TCAL opponent Salinas on Tuesday
night in Gilroy.
GILROY – Uncharacteristic service errors haunted the Gilroy High girls varsity volleyball team, disrupting the flow of its offense in a 15-25, 25-23, 15-25, 17-25 loss to TCAL opponent Salinas on Tuesday night in Gilroy.
“Our serve is what killed us,” head coach Josh Corioso said. “We are used to maybe three or four service errors in a match. Tonight, in the third game alone, there were eight. It drives down your momentum and it also gives away points.”
Senior outside hitter Avrielle Walker showcased some timely spikes and led the Mustangs with nine kills and 19 digs on the night.
“I feel like we can compete with anybody,” Walker said. “I was a little off tonight. We just weren’t on our ‘A’ game.”
The Mustangs (3-3, 1-2) had their hands full with the Cowboys'(11-2, 3-0) tough front line, which stood tall, forcing down monster spikes and getting up to block a number of GHS kill attempts.
“Salinas is a well-rounded team,” Corioso said. “They are one of the top teams in our league.”
A combination of timid play and sloppy unforced errors led to a quick Game 1 win for the Cowboys.
However, the Mustangs buckled down in a back-and-forth Game 2, eventually coming away with the set victory on a Loryn Ferreira block. The Mustangs relinquished a three-point lead midway through the set as the Cowboys went on a 10-3 run to take a 20-17 advantage.
Corioso called a time out, which worked in the Mustangs favor. They proceeded to regain their composure outscoring the Cowboys 8-3 down the stretch to finish off the set.
Ferreira ended with two blocks along with seven kills and 15 digs.
The Mustangs’ service woes came back to bite them in the pivotal third game, throwing a kink into any offensive rhythm they had looked to establish.
GHS, early on, kept Game 4 competitive. The two teams exchanged points to a 4-4 tie, as the Mustangs appeared ready to send the match to a deciding fifth set. But, after some early success, the game began to slip away and the Mustangs never brought in any closer than two points the rest of the way.
“They showed a lot of heart,” Corioso said. “They never once gave up. They were fighting to the last point.”
The Mustangs are back in action next Tuesday traveling to Hollister to face rival San Benito.
