GILROY – The Gilroy High girls varsity volleyball team had
defending Tri Country Athletic League champions and this year’s
frontrunner scrambling for answers after a convincing first-set
victory.
The Mustangs, however, were unable to keep the momentum rolling
as the Spirits came roaring back for a 21-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-12
victory Tuesday night in Gilroy.
GILROY – The Gilroy High girls varsity volleyball team had defending Tri Country Athletic League champions and this year’s frontrunner scrambling for answers after a convincing first-set victory.
The Mustangs, however, were unable to keep the momentum rolling as the Spirits came roaring back for a 21-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-12 victory Tuesday night in Gilroy.
“We just came out on fire and that’s the team I know that we are,” said head coach Josh Corioso. “We are also a team that is real quick to getting too comfortable. That’s one thing as a team we have to work on.”
The Mustangs did indeed burst out of the gates, leading by as many as five at 13-8 on a Lindsey Foster block.
Gilroy responded well to a Spirits’ mini run that tied the set at 15-15. Loryn Ferreira, Avrielle Walker and Melissa Avila all came up with points on some monster spikes to close out the set.
“We have lost to them so many times before and we just wanted it in that first game,” Avila said. “We played as a team. We were moving, hustling, talking and hitting. We have all the physical talent that we need. We have someone that can dominate at every position. It came down to more of a mental thing than physical.”
Avila finished the night with eight kills and tied with Ferreria with a team-high 24 digs. Ferreria added five service aces and five kills. Walker led the way with 11 kills for the Mustangs.
GHS battled back from a 16-8 deficit in Game 2, going on a 12-4 run to knot the set at 20. However, the Spirits rattled off five straight points, and that run to close out the set seemed to disrupt the Mustangs for the rest of the match.
The Mustangs were never in Game 3, trailing by as many as 11 as the Spirits easily took the set.
“We always have to play like we are behind,” Corioso said. “Every time we were down tonight we tried to fight, fight, fight. But by that time it was too late.”
GHS looked on the verge of tying the match at two sets apiece as the two teams went back and forth to 11-11. But after a taking a timeout, the Spirits fired off 14 of the next 15 points to seal the match.
