(7:45 pm) Paly started off strong with a kill from Melanie Wade (’12) to secure the first point. From there, Paly kept the lead throughout the entire game, winning 25-17. Although the rousing Jackrabbit fans contributed to four Paly service errors early on in the game, Shelby Knowles (’13) was unaffected when she served an ace, allowing Paly to hold a strong lead at 13 to 7. The Lady Vikes kept their composure through their offensive strengths. Trina Ohms (‘11) had back-to-back kills, bringing the score from 17-10 to 19-10 and giving Paly the momentum needed to lead them to a win, making the match score 1-0 Paly.
(8:00 pm) Right now, the score stands at 15-8 in favor of Poly in game two.
(8:10 pm) Check out this video of the first game:
(8:18 pm) Although Paly had a strong first-game start, the Lady Vikes allowed Long Beach Poly to quickly take hold of the second game. Poly went on to win the game, 25-20. The Jackrabbits provided tough serving, getting a fast start with a lead of 5-0. Paly found itself out of rhythm and unable to return the strong hits from Poly, which continued its lead at 14-8 later on. However, the Lady Vikes responded by picking apart the Jackrabbit defense, with a kill from Ohms two points later. With a kill from Wade to make the score 18-22, it seemed as though Paly might regain enough strength and momentum to come back. But Poly pulled away at the end of the game with several tough kills, tying the match score at 1-1.
(8:22 pm) After falling behind early, the Lady Vikes have come back to make the score 7-6 in the Jackrabbits’ favor.
(8:29 pm) Long Beach Poly leads the Lady Vikes in a close game three, 15-14.
(8:40 pm) In the seemingly endless third game, the back-and-forth rallies started at the first point and continued throughout the entire game. But Paly was able to come out on top, winning 25-21. Both Paly and Long Beach Poly executed well on defense, but struggled to gain enough momentum on offense to take a significant lead. Early on, Paly led 7-6 with a kill from Wade. However, later in the game, Poly broke away to take a 20-18 lead. At a Paly timeout, the score was tied at 21. Paly head coach Dave Winn’s words in the huddle were taken to heart in the next point when Kimmy Whitson (’12) got a strong kill, followed by back-to-back aces by Knowles. The Lady Vikes pulled ahead of the Jackrabbits and won the game, 25-21. They now lead the match score at 2-1.
(8:54 pm) Paly calls a timeout after falling behind in game four, 14-9.
(9:03 pm) After losing the fourth game in a 25-11 blowout, Paly will play in the deciding fifth game for the California State Championship title. Going into game four, Paly led with a match score of 2-1. Long Beach Poly began with an early lead of 9-5, knowing that the game could be its last of the season and a State Championship for Paly. Paly challenged the fight by getting three consecutive points to make the score 9-8. The importance of the game was also felt in the stands, where Paly students, cheerleaders, parents and fans cheered enthusiastically in response the Long Beach Poly fans across the court. Despite the Viking support, the Jackrabbits maintained the lead mid-game with a kill to make the score 17-9. Several rallies later, Long Beach Poly easily won the game, 25-11, bringing the total match score to a tie at 2-2.
(9:05 pm) Poly leads game five, 3-2
(9:23 pm) Palo Alto High School was officially crowned the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I Champions after winning game 5 of the match, 17-15. Long Beach Poly began the game strong with an 8-6 lead at the halfway point of the game. However, Paly quickly fought back, tying the game 8-8. Both Long Beach Poly and Paly fought hard for the title, showing consistent effort through hard hits and scrappy defense. At 12-9 in the Jackrabbits’ favor, Dave Winn called a timeout, telling his team, “Let’s win it.” The Lady Vikes went to fight back by winning two consecutive points. Although a victory seemed doubtful when Poly led at 14-12, the Lady Vikes came back to tie and win the game, 17-15, on an ace from Maddie Kuppe (‘12).
Click here for the full recap. Watch for issue three of The Viking in the next few weeks for more volleyball, football and Paly sports coverage.
Mary Albertolle and Brandon Dukovic contributed to this blog.
