By Bob Carter
George Elliot wins game 5 17-15 to advance to AA final. Photo by Paul Yates.
[event_results 3202]
George Elliot and Abby Christian will meet for the AA title Saturday at the Kahunaverse Sports BC Volleyball Championships.
Both survived critical moments in Friday’s semifinals.
ACS rallied to defeat Fraser Valley rival Langley Christian in four sets after nearly being down 2-0, ending the dream of a third consecutive title for the Lightning.
Elliott, a team ranked No. 1 most of the season, beat College Heights in five sets (17-15). It was the Coyotes’ fifth victory over CH this year in five meetings.
“I’m so happy for the players,” GESS coach Chris Frehlick said, adding that “it has been a long time since George Elliot has been in the finals.”
After controlling the play in taking the first two sets, 22 and 16, the Coyotes dropped the next two sets, 26-24 and 25-23. They fell behind 8-6 in the fifth, tied it at 11 on a Roan McCarthy kill, then trailed 14-13 on a big hit by the Cougars’ Matt Shand.
One point from defeat, Frehlick called a timeout and later remembered telling his team two things: “Pass the ball and be aggressive.”
The Coyotes won four of the next five points for the victory.
GESS has gone 2-0 this season against Abby Christian, which had been struggling to find its form the last few weeks.
The Knights entered the BCs as the sixth seed after losing two late matches in league play and two more in the zone playoffs.
They lost the first set to LCS 25-23 and blew a four-point late in the second, falling behind by a point with the Lightning serving for the set. The Knights then won three straight points to even the match 27-25 and took the next two sets 25-17, 25-20.
Pulling out the second set was huge, said Knights coach Anthony Jansen.
“That win instilled all the confidence the boys needed,” he said. “It was a great team effort.”
Standout Cole Brandsma, a 6-6 power, played extremely well, but the play of 5-11 Zach Meinen turned out to be critical.
“He contributed more than in any other game,” Jansen said. “He made a big difference, giving us another left side. He took some of the pressure off Cole, who had one of his best games.”
The pressure seemed to lessen Friday for the whole team, which didn’t play well in winning its first two pool games two days earlier.
“Every day we’ve been gaining confidence,” Jansen said. “It looks like we’re peaking at the right time.”
[event_results 3201]
Abby Christian finishes the upset and defeats Langley Christian in 4 sets.
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Game NOTES from ACS vs LCS:
Game 1: Both teams are hitting the cover off of the ball. This is terrific volleyball. Langley Christian finishes with a thunderous hit from Kastelein on the left side to win 25-23.
Game 2: Abby Christian’s #10 tooling and has at least three kills. Abby Christian is up 19-15 when LCS calls timeout. LCS calls timeout down 18-22. LCS battles back to 23-23 as ACS calls a timeout. Abby Christian battles 27-25
Game 3: ACS has 9-2 early lead. Has control from the outset and takes game 25-17.
Game 4; The battle continues with great saves by both sides. ACS up 12-9. Cole his a ball straight down the line for 14-11 lead. ACS up 21-16 with great defense – LCS calls timeout. ACS #10 playing out of this planet. ACS WINS 25-20!!!! FINALS BOUND.
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Game NOTES from GESS vs CH:
Game 1: George Elliot has commanding 19-14 lead- College Heights battled back to 20-21. George Elliot finishes strong to take the set.
Game 2: Shand is scoring at will early. College Heights called for a number of 2 touch calls in the middle. George Elliot takes control of the middle and takes the game 25-16.
Game 3: College Heights can’t solve George Elliot. GESS #5 is on fire early. College Heights fights back to take a lead 12-11 before GESS calls timeout. Down at 19-20 College Heights calls timeout. 23-23. Off of a fast set to the outside- a quick swing -fans and misses to create a 23-24 deficit for GESS. GESS calls timeout. Medical timeout for #5 creates a long break between serves. CH misses serve. 24-24. #10 CH kill down the line 25-24. CH wins 26-24.
College Heights ties up the match at 2-2 and celebrates.
Game 4: Down 3-6 CH calls timeout. Both teams battling and hitting hard with great digs. 14-14. A couple of CH errors down 14-17. #6 CH scores against triple block down still down 16-18. CH 12 serving – 19-18 after CH 6 recycles ball then pounds the next one down. Timeout GESS. GESS #11 now in front row. CH 22-20 CH #6 serving – into net. CH timeout up 22-21. Fans are going crazy. CH #10 with two kills near the end to take 24-22 lead. GESS #11 hits down the line off the block 23-24. #12 CH kill out of the middle for 25-23 win.
Game 5: 1-0 GESS #5 combo kill to start 1-0. GESS #15 hard kill 2-1. tied 3-3. GESS #11 tool kill 4-3. CH #10 great kill 4-4. CH #12 off a party ball straight down 5-5. CH #6 hard kill down the line 6-6. CH # 6 party ball kill 7-6. CH #6 kill deep cross – CH up 8-6 at the turn. Timeout GESS down 6-8. tied 8-8 two errors. CH #6 right side kill. Dribble drop kill CH 10-8. GESS right side kill 9-10. #15 GESS short serve -block 10-10. CH #10 Kill left side 11-10. GESS #11 great deep kill 11-11 : CH calls timeout. GESS in the middle tip falls to the ground 12-12. CH #10 rocket kill 13-12. GESS crazy dig and GESS #11 D ball kill down the right line. 13-13 CH calls timeout. GESS #8 serving – Great rally CH#6 kill to gap in 6 and 1 CH 14-13. CH #6 -out 14-14. GESS #5 party ball kill 15-14. CH #6 tool kill 15-15. CH #6 high out. 17-15 setter called for 2 touch.
