Shadow Ridge 3, Coronado 2 (27-29, 23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 15-9)

Wow.  What a match for all the marbles. This was the best match I have seen this season.  The electricity was in the air before the first serve as the fans poured into the gym and turned up the noise. Coronado fed off the initial energy and started off very strong charging to a 9-4 lead.  Bryan Arana was on fire early with an amazing 8 kills in the first set.  The Shadow Ridge fans chanted Jimmy Neutron at him and it only seemed to raise his game.  The Cougars sustained their margin until late when Shadow Ridge was able to fight back to tie the score at 23.  Zach Hafen and Taylor Lancaster logged 4 kills apiece in the comeback effort. The two teams were neck and neck until Jahren Makanoa dialed up an ace serve to give set one to Coronado 29-27.

Set 2 was much like the first set with Coronado surging to a lead Shadow Ridge spending most of the game trying to catch up.  The Cougars built there small lead on the arm of Chris Andrulis who hammered 5 kills, 1 ace and 3 blocks in the set.  Bryan Glenn provided some clutch blocking and Bryan Arana tabbed 5 more kills.  Coronado was forcing most of the action but the Mustangs were finally able to tie the score at 19 behind 5 kills from the always smooth Zach Hafen.  From here on out the set was very close but Coronado once again was able to pull out a slim victory 25-23.

With their backs to wall down 0-2 Shadow Ridge came out much stronger in set 3.  At this point the two teams seemed to resemble two boxers with different styles.  The powerful slugger versus the slick defender.  Coronado kept throwing knockout blows and Shadow Ridge continually dodged with great defense.  The Mustangs were as slick as Floyd Mayweather in set 3 as they just kept digging and counter punching to an 18-14 lead which they extended to 25-17 by the end of the game.  Plenty of contributions were made offensively for Shadow Ridge but it was truly the combined effort of their defense that won the game.

Game 4 was a mirror image of game 3 and the score ended the identical, as well, Shadow Ridge 25-17. Bryan Arana paced the Cougars adding 5 more kills to his match high total of 20.  Shadow Ridge really showed their depth and flexibility in this game.  Last night they got nearly all of their offense from the left side, tonight senior MB Thomas Rowan stepped up big time blasting 6 kills and two blocks in game 4.  Taylor Lancaster also added 6 kills as the mustangs knotted the match 2-2.

At this point you could cut the tension with a knife.  The crowd was louder than ever and the environment was fitting for a state championship.  Shadow Ridge came out strong racing to leads of 6-2 and 10-4.  The Mustangs defense brought in backup MB Charles Andrulis for Coronado who scored a couple of kills but couldn’t slow down Thomas Rowan who had settled into “the zone.”  Rowan added 4 more kills in the short set and then on game point with the Cougars ready for the set to go to him again, Jeremy Makaiwi flipped the set over his head to Zach Hafen for game set and match.  Shadow Ridge is the state champion.  Both teams deserve a great deal of credit.  The match was very exciting and so many guys stepped up and played well.  Hats off to the great crowd, as well. This is the way to watch two state finalists battle it out.  I am already looking forward to next season.

Coronado 3 Centennial 0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-16)

Coronado began the second match of the night appearing to be a little angry after losing their frist match of the season last Friday.  They burst out of the blocks to a 6-1 lead and were looking very strong but Centennial had something to say about the outcome as well.  The Bulldogs fought back to tie the score at 20 behind strong performances from Matt Kurtz, Tyler Rogers, Cameron Olsen and Leo Durkin.  The Cougars flexed their muscle to finish the closely contested set winning 25-23.  The Cougars were paced by Bryan Arana’s 4 kills and Jahren Makanoa’s 3.

Once again in set two Coronado raced to an early advantage at 9-2 only in this set Centennial was not able to close the margin.  Opposite Mike Ryan played well hammering 4 kills in this game but the set was never in question and ended at 25-14.  Hunter Chaney was getting everyone involved for the Cougars as each front row player had at least 2 kills.  Set 3 was just an extension of set 2 as Coronado jumped out early and maintained their lead throughout the game winning 25-16.  Centennial had a great season and will look to be a very strong team next year as they return Opp Mike Robinson and arguably the best setter in the state Leo Durkin.  Coronado was extremely balanced on offense throughout the match using all of their options and falling back into their groove.  Bryan Arana finished the match with 10 kills but the Cougars got significant contributions from everyone that played.  The Cougars will face off with Shadow Ridge tomorrow night at 6:00pm at Palo Verde High School for the state championship.

Shadow Ridge 3, Las Vegas 0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-23)

The state semi-final started with some real electricity in the gym and soon translated into some jitters on both sides of the net.  Each team settled down and there was quite a bit of quality volleyball.  The two squads streaked back and forth with one team getting a lead and the other battling back to tie.  At the first timeout Shadow Ridge was up 12-6 only to see Las Vegas battle back to tie the score at 14.  The Wildcats were once again paced by Braeden Wilson who had 4 kills in the first set.  The Mustangs seemed to really gain control of the momentum and the set with a huge solo block by OH Taylor Lancaster which gave them the lead at 18-17 which they never relinquished as they finished the game at 25-20.  Shadow Ridge had a balanced attack getting 4 kills apiece from Taylor Lancaster, Zach Hafen and Jake Shea.

In set two Las Vegas started strong with Shadow Ridge holding close.  The teams were trading shots and thundering kills but Las Vegas held on to its slim lead.  Shadow Ridge finally gained the lead on a run of points but the play that inspired an opponent’s time out came on a beautiful set and kill from Jeremy Makaiwi to Zach Hafen.  Makaiwi had to run down a dig near the left sideline and push the set over his head 30 feet to the right side pin for the waiting hammer of Zach Hafen.  But it didn’t change the entire momentum as Las Vegas held very tight and even had a lead at 23-22 behind the outstanding play of Trevor Hardy who finished the set with 7 kills and an ace.  The two squads traded points until Shadow Ridge was able to finish the set in overtime at 28-26.

Once again Las Vegas started strong in set 3 jumping out to an 8-5 advantage but the Mustangs tied it at 8.  The two squads were playing at a very high level but slowly Shadow Ridge opened a small lead and ultimately won a very tight set 25-23.  The Mustangs slightly altered their plan of attack in the final stanza getting nearly all of their offense from the left pin with Jake Shea and Taylor Lancaster both pounding out 6 kills.  Braeden Wilson performed heroically in the final game registering 8 kills and a service ace.  Hats off to a great season by the Wildcats, I was very impressed by their run in the playoffs.  Shadow Ridge will move on to the state finals which will take place at Palo Verde, tomorrow at 6:00pm.

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 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!

NIAA PHOTOS OF THE DAY!!

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 (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 4^th 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.

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 (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.