What a difference a year makes.
Gilroy – What a difference a year makes.
After having little trouble beating Sobrato in both meetings in Tri-County Athletic League play last year, Gilroy High faced a different team Wednesday, and was swept 25-20, 25-22, 25-21.
Mustangs coach Sue Grogan found the difference to be quite simple – a lack of experience playing club volleyball.
“We had two varsity players play on club teams,” Grogan said. As a contrast, about half of the players for Sobrato, which has moved out of the TCAL and now competes in the Blossom Valley Athletic League this season, have club experience.
“That’s something that we encountered last season, that the better teams play lots and lots of club,” Grogan said. “Volleyball’s a game of the more you play the better you get.”
Gilroy (6-5) won’t return to action again until it opens the league season against San Benito Tuesday and Grogan hopes the team will take advantage of the time off.
“I’m hoping the girls are going to get charged up for league play,” Grogan said.
The Mustangs opened a 17-10 advantage in the first game, before the Bulldogs scored six straight to make it 17-16 and eventually tallied the final eight points of the game.
After taking a 4-1 lead in the second game, Gilroy again watched Sobrato go on a run as it notched six straight points and never trailed the rest of the way to take a two games to none advantage.
The Bulldogs (2-3) continued to apply the pressure and forced the Mustangs into mistakes in the third game. Sobrato never trailed and went to match point leading 24-18. Gilroy kept itself alive with three straight points, but a return on a shot by Sobrato’s Nicole Simoneau shot wide and into the bleachers to give the Bulldogs the match.
Caitlin Chisolm led the Mustangs with seven kills, senior Kayla Meazell added six and senior setter Jennifer Smith recorded 13 assists.
Gilroy’s junior varsity team also was knocked off by Sobrato, falling 25-17, 25-13.
