Jackson puts down clinching kill in Gilroy spikers’ win over
‘Boys
SALINAS – After tangling with some of the area’s top volleyball programs in the Alisal Tournament, the garlic spikers re-charged their game and cracked a five-game league skid by outlasting host Salinas.
“We just snuck out of Salinas with a win,” head coach Craig Martin said.
Gilroy (3-5 in T-CAL) came out strong, winning the first two games, 27-25, and 25-18, but had to go the distance when the Cowboys rallied for the next two, 15-25 and 20-25. In the fifth rally game, the Mustangs had some more left in the tank, clinching the match with a 15-12 nod.
“We just told them we’ve been here before with a must-win game,” Martin said. “We had it a couple of time in the tournament and the beginning of the season, and they responded.”
“Salinas battled us the whole way,” he added. “This team definitely has heart. They’ve proved it every time we’ve faced a must-win situation. There’s still lapses, but they come through in crunch-time.”
Senior Kyle Loving tallied a team-high 14 kills and teammate Ankoon Pothong chipped in with eight kills, while senior setter Jason Ahumada recorded a team-high 25 assists.
But junior middle blocker Dominic Jackson picked his game up a notch in the rallying game, sealing the victory with a second-chance kill after initially getting blocked. The Mustangs combined for 110 touches on block attempts at the net.
“They persevered through it. They fought through it and actually came through big in the fifth game,” said Martin, whose squad defeated Salinas for the second time this season. “What I told the guys is I don’t like doing it in the fifth game, but I’ll always take it.”
The Mustangs (8-15 overall) continue league play with an April 21 road match in Hollister and then return home April 23 to face Alisal. Both matches are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.
“We’re a good team and we just have to work on our mental lapses that we have at times in the middle of matches,” Martin said. “Every serve that happens, the team is gaining confidence in their ability and now they know they can win.”
Gilroy trailed 23-19 in the opening game against Salinas (0-7), but did not give in and finished on an 8-2 run.
“We carried the momentum into the second game and then we just kind of eased off on our concentration in third game,” Martin said. “And it carried with them into the fourth game.”
In the clutch, the Mustangs forged ahead for a slim three-point, rally-game victory.
“The kids are doing the right things. They are doing what they have to do to win,” Martin said. “We want to finish things in three games. These five-gamers are just killing me.”
