BONK . . . BONK . . . WHAP . . . -- Griffin threesome sends the ball back. Jonatan Muñoz, International
Griffin girls overcome Eagle rally
The International girls varsity volleybal team defeated Cooperative in straight sets Monday in their gym, but it wasn't easy.
The Griffinettes took the first set by the close score of 25-22, and had an even tougher struggle ontheir hands in the second, but won once again, 28-26 this time.
The female Eagles played hard in both games, and got their chances in the second set when the Griffins seemed to "get a case of the yips," with first experienced player, and then another, suddently having trouble handling routine plays or serving. However, the Griffins were able to steady themselve, helped by some key substitutions, and prevail.
The International girls varsity volleybal team defeated Cooperative in straight sets Monday in their gym, but it wasn't easy.
The Griffinettes took the first set by the close score of 25-22, and had an even tougher struggle ontheir hands in the second, but won once again, 28-26 this time.
The female Eagles played hard in both games, and got their chances in the second set when the Griffins seemed to "get a case of the yips," with first experienced player, and then another, suddently having trouble handling routine plays or serving. However, the Griffins were able to steady themselve, helped by some key substitutions, and prevail.
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TAKE THAT! -- Griffin fires spike as Eagle blockers rise to the occasion. Jonatan Muñoz, International
Eagle boys can't quite match Griffins
The International boys varsity volleyball team pinned a 2-0 defeat on Christian Learning in their home gym Monday, winning the first set 25-22, and then having a marginally easier time in the second, taking it 29-19.
"My team was asleep," commented Christian Learning coach Alejandra Salto after the game, and the Eagles had had a little trouble getting off the blocks in the first game, in which International got off to a 12-5 start and led throughout, though Christian Learning got within two points at 23-21 and 24-22 before International shut the door.
In the second set the two teams battled evenly from the start, and were tied at 10-10 and 18-18, but Christian Learning basically stalled at that point, making several unforced errors, such as spiking the ball into the net, while International played relatively error-free. The game, and match, ended inauspiciously on a bad Christian Learning serve into the net.
International coach Eli Vilar was upset with her team's serving overall, and acknowledged that International had benefited fro "missed hits" by the Eagles.
To a neutral obersver, though, the game seemed quite well played by both teams. It drove home the fact that the varsity teams in the league have now moved completely beyond family-fun, just-get the ball-back style soccer.
On every play, it seemed, each time was either cutting loose with a well sett-up and hard-hit spike, or a quick tap toward an open area. The retrievals, or "digs," were often quite remarkable. It was a good show.
