Posts by JSmith:
Centennial NIAA SUNSET REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!
May 15th, 2010
Centennial 3 Shadow Ridge 1 (20-25, 25-14, 25-19, 25-18)
This match was very competitive and tested which team would have better ball control and shot placement coupled with powerful attacking. In game one Shadow Ridge was in control from beginning to end charging to an early lead and never looking back. OH Taylor Lancaster raced out of the blocks for the Mustangs and propelled them with 4 kills while Jeremy Makaiwi kept dishing out the assists and tallied a couple of service aces. Centennial was paced by some nice outside hitting from Cameron Olson who had 6 kills in the opening stanza. The Bulldogs closed on the opening lead built by Shadow Ridge but the Mustangs closed at 25-20.
Centennial shrugged off the early game jitters in set 2 and charged to a 7-2 lead. Now the Bulldogs were forcing the action more with much more energy and star middle blocker Tyler Rogers really got on track with 4 kills and 2 blocks. Shadow Ridge was not playing as aggressively as they had in set 1 and setter Leo Durkin took advantage dishing sweet sets but also scoring three dumps to keep the Mustangs defense guessing and set 2 went to the Bulldogs 25-14.
Set three was very closely contested with both teams early trying to out-finesse the other. Both coaches were imploring their hitters to take more aggressive swings and pound out some kills. OH Matt Kurtz really stepped his game up in this set scoring 6 kills and 2 blocks and seemed to be the hitter that rallied his team. Jake Shea also raised the level for the Mustangs with 3 kills and some good aggressive swings but it wasn’t enough as the Bulldogs took the momentum and won set 3, 25-19 and a 2 games to 1 advantage.
Centennial got out to an early lead in set 4 but could not open a considerable separation and the game was very tight at the first timeout with the Bulldogs holding on to a 15-12 advantage. After a brief stage of both teams playing a little timid going back and forth with side outs, Cameron Olsen registered a huge solo block and Centennial held a 23-17 lead which they would not relinquish. Matt Kurtz tallied 5 more kills in this set to lead the Bulldogs with 19 total kills. The Mustangs were led by Jake Shea and Taylor Lancaster who each had 8 kills.
Shadow Ridge will play Las Vegas high school in the state semifinals on Tuesday at 5pm, while Centennial will battle Coronado at 7pm. All matches will be played at Palo Verde High School with the State Championship match is slated for Wednesday at 7pm.
LAS VEGAS HIGH NIAA SUNRISE REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!
May 15th, 2010
Las Vegas 3 Coronado 0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-23)
The Las Vegas Wildcats came out on Friday night ready to pounce as they roared to an early 10-4 lead and widened that gap by the time they finished the first set at 25-15. This lightening fast start caught Coronado on their heels a bit and it was the first set they had dropped since early April. Tyler Wilson, Braeden Wilson and Chris Gbelay each recorded three kills in the set but the real key was that the team only had two unforced hitting errors. The Cougars saw some nice offense from Chris Andrulis and Jahren Makanoa who each registered 3 kills but the team had a few uncharacteristic hitting errors.
Game 2 was very competitive and probably some of the best volleyball I have seen in the playoffs. Both teams were playing steady and aggressive with the real key to scoring was consistent ball control. The Wildcats got out to a 12-7 lead before Cougars Coach Matt Johnson called a timeout and his team responded tying the score at 16 highlighted by back to back stuff blocks by senior middle blocker Bryan Glenn. From here the competition level really rose and the intensity level sky rocketed. Las Vegas closed out the very tight second game 25-23 just as Coronado seemed to taking control of the momentum behind the left handed hammer of Chris Andrulis and clutch setting of Hunter Chaney. The Wildcat stars Braeden Wilson and Trevor Hardy played exceptionally well ledgering 5 kills apiece.
Game three was another action packed set. Once again Las Vegas High School jumped out to a 14-10 lead before Coronado narrowed the gap to 16-15 and the set stayed very tight from here to the end. Senior middle blocker Jordan Osmundson really stepped up in game three with some huge blocks and 3 kills, while Chris Andrulis scored on 5 of his own kills. However, this set belonged to the region MVP Braeden Wilson who hammered out a jaw dropping 8 kills and some vicious jump serving.
Both teams should hold their head high after this match as they really impressed this former coach. The level of play was very high and so many points were determined by quality competition rather than errors. I am very excited to see all of these teams play next Tuesday at the state semi-finals. Come on out to Palo Verde and support this event!
Shadow Ridge 3 Palo Verde 0 NIAA PLAYOFFS
May 14th, 2010
Shadow Ridge 3 Palo Verde 0 (27-25, 25-23, 25-22)
This was another very stimulating match which featured two different styles of play. Shadow Ridge plays a nice steady composed style riding the leadership and setting of Jeremy Makaiwi. His decision making and quickness really pace the team as he keeps the ball in the hands of hot hitters. Palo Verde plays the style of the big puncher which throws haymaker after haymaker at the opponents most of which are delivered by OH’s Nick Hipwell and Drew Topham. Palo Verde has come a long way this season and deserves credit for a great season but they could not overcome the composed play of Shadow Ridge losing three nail biting sets. Shadow Ridge was led offensively by Joe Pearson with 13 kills and Jake Shea who added 11. This was an enjoyable match to watch and just adds to my anticipation for Friday’s matches.
Las Vegas 3 Silverado 2 NIAA PLAYOFFS
May 14th, 2010
Las Vegas 3 Silverado 2 (26-24, 25-17, 27-29, 21-25, 24-22)
WOW! I still haven’t caught my breath yet from this barn burner and I was sitting still the entire match. What a great match!! This was the matchup that most intrigued me from the beginning. Could Silverado’s steady ball control and serving slow down the high flying attack from Las Vegas? Game 1 was just a hint of what was going to happen later. Both teams played fairly well with leads going back and forth but neither team able to extend. As a former coach it was great to see two teams compete so hard and have most of the points being finished with kills and blocks rather than errors. Set 2 was well played on both sides again with but the 1-2 punch of Trevor Hardy and Braeden Wilson proved to be too much for Silverado in the end. When Wilson and Hardy are really on their games this team is very hard to deal with and they go through stretches when you wonder if they can be slowed up. In game 3 Silverado stepped up and made Hardy and Wilson look human again. The Skyhawks played poised throughout the set behind the great play of MB Tyree Burton, OH Brian Theophil, and L Rusty Santiago. It goes without saying that S Casey Hadland was dishing nectar like he had a corner on the market. Toward the end of the game the Seahawks looked like they would force a game 4 as they had built a 23-20, but Las Vegas scored the next three points to tie the score. This was only the beginning of the thrill as we had tie scores at every stage till 27 when Silverado was finally able to score back to back points and force the match to the 4th set. I was very impressed with MB Chris Gbelay who seemed to play better and better for the Wildcats as the match got tighter and tighter. Set 4 was competitive but Silverado seemed to have control most of the way. Both teams played well but the ball control and defense that defines the Seahawks and it was what forced the pivotal game 5. I need to let the participants know that most of the time we only go to 15 points in game 5, but the gritty performers wanted to try for another 25 point set. What a game! Las Vegas reassumed control of the momentum early grabbing an early 7-3 advantage with the highlight of the early going on a monster kill from Braeden Wilson on a 2 set. Silverado fought back in their methodical style and ultimately tied the score at 13. From here we watched back and forth exhilarating play from both teams as we had ties scores all the way up to 22 all. Finally, the Wildcats scored consecutive points to bring the mad cap match to a conclusion at 24-22. My hat goes off to all performers here. That was a great match and thanks to the fans that revved up the intensity of the moment, I am just glad I was there to see it.
Coronado 3 Rancho 0 NIAA PLAYOFFS
May 14th, 2010
Thursday’s action on the court should have earned Las Vegas some new volleyball fans. It was a great day of competition and the atmosphere was intense just as the state playoffs should be. I am really looking forward to Friday’s conclusion of the playoffs. Hats off to the fans, coaches and especially, the guys on the court.
Coronado 3 Rancho 0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-22)
Rancho High School put up a very good fight in the first match of the day but Coronado proved to be a little too strong. Coronado was really on top of their game in the first set. They played about as efficiently as could be expected with only two hitting errors. They were nearly perfect in side out attempts and they dominated at the net with their superior size. Set two was much more competitive as Rancho stepped up behind the efforts of OH Antonio Boucher and MB Adam Johnson. Nearing the end of the game Coronado pulled away mostly due to a series of blocks, kills and jump serves by OPP Chris Andrulis. Set 3 was very close all the way to the end when Coronado finished strong primarily on the arm of OH Brian Arana and the hands of S Hunter Chaney. Both young men played very well in the last 10 points of the match to give Coronado the sweep.
Centennial 3 Bonanza 1 NIAA PLAYOFFS
May 14th, 2010
Centennial 3 Bonanza 1 (25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 25-18)
As the afternoon moved on and more people entered the gym the excitement rose. Centennial and Bonanza put on a very entertaining match that really exemplified prep sport spirit. Bonanza started strong in game one and Centennial showed some jitters with some early overly aggressive errors. By the end of the set things got really tight and the Bulldogs pulled out a two point victory. Very impressive throughout the match was S Leo Durkin who was not only very cagey with his decisions but very aggressive which in my humble opinion pressed his hitters to a higher level. Set 2 was also very stirring with both teams going back and forth with solid play and errors. Centennial won more of the long rallies and the set. Bonanza fought back strong in set 3 racing out to an early lead. The Bengals were led by hitters Jason Bedford and Jared Harrington. Both of these hitters really brought their game throughout the match but went to a new level in game 3. Game 4 was quite close in the first half of the match before Centennial pulled to an 18-12 lead with Leo Durkin serving and some very nice defense from L Cameron Olsen. Olsen’s defense, passing and block coverage was very nice throughout the latter stages of the match.
NIAA Boys state championships Recap- Jason Smith
May 13th, 2010There was a great afternoon of volleyball at Las Vegas High School on Tuesday as the NIAA Boys state championships got kicked off. Although, all the matches ended in sweeps there was plenty of action to enjoy. It all continues on Thursday at Palo Verde High School and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys volleyball.
Rancho 3 Del Sol 0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-18)
This was a fairly competitive match from beginning to end. Rancho started strong but Del Sol fought back to tie the score using their middle blockers well in transition. The Rams then took the lead for good at 19-12 behind the serving of Kyle Stankosky and some strong net play from Adam Johnson. Rancho began game 2 where they left off in game one and never relinquished the lead. Outside hitters Antonio Boucher and Kevin Plascencia both had some monster kills but more importantly balanced the team with steady ball control and strong serving. Del Sol started quickly in game three as Eric Beil got on track and raised his game a level. Rancho battled back to tie the game at 11 and take the lead at 21-13 on the lightning fast attacks of MB David Silva. Silva was the fastest middle in the gym and does a great job of maintaining spacing with his setter. Rancho finished the match at 25-18 and could do some damage on Thursday if their outsides continue to set the pace and tempo of the match and finish points from the pin. Del Sol should like the looks of next year’s squad returning the all around solid outside hitter Eric Beil, the crafty setting of Nick Maglaras and extremely athletic middles Aaron Rife and James Johnson.
Silverado 3 Valley 0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-11)
Silverado won this match fairly easily methodically choking Valley with some very aggressive serving and blocking. The team is led by Casey Hadland who is very smooth and continually puts his hitters in some great positions to score. The balanced attack and sound ball control slowly exerted pressure on Valley like a boa constrictor which eventually led to a great deal of errors from the Vikings. I was very impressed with the energy and defensive play of Rusty Santiago who erased quite a few nice spikes from the Valley hitters. Junior OH Brian Theophil was notable in this match with his passing and clutch serving. This will be a difficult team to beat on Thursday. They are well coached and solid in all of the volleyball fundamentals.
Coronado 3 Desert Pines 0 (25-8, 25-10, 25-12)
Coronado is the most complete team that I have seen this season. Tuesday they coasted past Desert Pines with great setting, devastating and highlight kills. It was evident that Desert Pines was rattled early as the Cougars raced out to a 10-1 lead and never looked back. Dominique Lawrence played well at times for Desert Pines but overall they were outmatched by the size of Coronado. The Cougars were paced by junior opposite Chris Andrulis who tallied 10 kills and 5 blocks. Senior outside hitter Bryan Arana bounced 7 kills and really shines in every aspect of his game. He has a huge vertical but the beauty of his performance is hidden in his passing and serving. Hunter Chaney sets for and leads Coronado with a low key approach to making his hitter look great. He makes great decisions and dishes some great sets to an all around offense. This group is probably the favorite going into Thursday and is very exciting to watch.
Las Vegas 3 Basic 0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-16)
The final match of the day was a spirited match with plenty of emotion going back forth across the net. Physically the Basic team was a little overmatched but continued to fight and scrap throughout the evening forcing Vegas to earn every point. The fighters heart of the Wolves is truly exemplified by the gritty and exciting play of senior libero Jarin Sillitoe. If we put some floor cleaner on his chest the court would be spotless at the end of the night as he dives over and over again to record highlight digs and provide energy for his team. Vegas was paced throughout the night by nice performances from outside hitters Braeden Wilson and Trevor Hardy. Both of these hitters play high over the net and deliver some massive kills and really look to be having a great time doing it. The entire team plays a smart brand of volleyball and exploited some holes in the Basic defense. Luke Hansen did an outstanding job of getting the ball to the hot hitters throughout the match which kept the Basic blockers on their heels at times. This should be a fun team to watch on Thursday!
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