LJ g VB: A second look

By Ed Piper

La Jolla is ranked fifth in volleyball in the San Diego Section on the cifsds website (Sept. 7). Coach Kelly Drobeck's squad, 9-1, is ranked fourth among Division 1 teams.

One reason for those ratings is the Vikings' ability to make filet mignon out of cheap steak.

In Sept. 5's match against University City, an eventual relatively easy 3-1 win, La Jolla rode three kills by senior transfer Maya Lightfoot at 3-1, 6-1, and 8-3, and a serving ace and kill by stalwart Leyla Blackwell to build an early lead in winning game one, 25-14. UC errors contributed to the result.

The bargain meat-to-delicacy came in game two, however. The Vikings struggled, facing Centurion players who were extending themselves with the encouragement of a home crowd that was spirited and who urged them on.

UC coach Amanda Wiggins' program is not stocked with quite the talent of some other schools. The Centurions only this year were promoted to Division 1.

You could see a little of the strain, and the somewhat-thin self-confidence in the face of La Jolla's propulsion, coming in with the nine wins in 10 tries.

But after the visitors gained a 4-0 lead, including an Amaya McMillan kill and a block by Monaghan "Mo" Cromeans and Blackwell, UC began making things difficult. Senior co-captain Nadia Merkel unleashed a bomb at the net. Libero Rachel Gonsalves served three straight points.

What had been a four-point lead evaporated. Even an 18-13 lead, the Vikings couldn't hold. Down 20-19, La Jolla fought back point-for-point to gain a narrow 25-23 win to take a 2-0 game lead.

The Vikings forced errors at 21-20 and 22-20. Mo scored on a softly-placed tip for the lead, 24-23, after Blackwell--who else?--fired a kill from about 10 feet back from the net that couldn't be returned.

Alexandria Young, a serving specialist who hasn't seen a lot of time in the rotation outside of serving, delivered the denouement with a kill from the right outside position for the 25th point.

It wasn't pretty, but it was a win. The second-game victory set the visitors up to win the match overall.