Girls’ volleyball earns initial victory of 05-06 Gilroy High
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Gilroy – The Mustang girls’ volleyball team can now say it’s earned the very first win of the Gilroy High sporting year.
Gilroy (1-0) defeated Alvarez (0-1) at home Tuesday night in three straight games, 25-17, 25-19, 25-11. Last Friday, the Gilroy field hockey squad played the first official game of the 2005-06 school year, but could only manage a 1-1 tie with Los Gatos.
“I think they played very well together,” said Sue Grogan, who also picked up her first win as the new head coach of girls’ volleyball. “It just got me over the unfamiliarity of whether they could play together.”
An ace serve from junior setter Jennifer Smith followed by a kill from senior setter and opposite side hitter Katherine Hussey closed out the first game for the Mustangs. The two shared setting duties on the night, with Hussey (three kills) spreading around eight assists and Smith giving out five.
“We get along really well, have a good attitude and are upbeat,” said Hussey about this year’s team. “It’s fun.”
In the second game, Gilroy was in control by a few points early and took a 13-9 lead. Sophomore middle Caitlin Chisolm made it 15-9 after scoring on a tip kill after a long rally and then serving an ace. A kill from senior middle Isabelle Szucs (two kills, two down blocks) on an Alvarez overpass followed by two Eagle errors stretched Gilroy’s lead to 18-9.
With the score 22-12 after some back-and-forth play, Alvarez scored five straight points thanks to some tough serving by Jackie Vazquez and the Eagles closed the score to 22-17. But a series of Alvarez errors helped the ‘Stangs to game point. Hussey shut the door on the Eagles with a kill on an overpass for the Game 2 win.
Grogan was happy to see her team stay composed and in control despite some sloppy play from Alvarez.
“That’s kind of my theory,” Grogan said. “Make sure you play your game.”
The Mustangs became more aggressive in the third game, running some attacking plays that Grogan said they had been working on in practice.
The game stayed close before Gilroy went on a 6-0 run for a 16-8 lead. That run featured a Hussey kill and an impressive down block and tip kill from sophomore middle Vanessa Wilkins who, despite standing just around 5-foot-6, has a vertical game that easily gets her over the net.
“(Wilkins) gets up very high,” said Hussey, who also praised the other two sophomores on the team, Chisolm and opposite hitter Sara Hugo, for stepping up on the varsity level.
Gilroy only allowed Alvarez three more points before closing out the game and the match.
The Mustangs now play two consecutive away games, today at Anzar and Thursday at North Monterey County.
