| | Published October 13th, 2010
| Acalanes Lady Dons Dominate Dublin
| | By Abby Klinkenberg |  | | Seniors Natalie Chan (#4) and Gaby Gaubert (#7) watch teammate spike the ball.
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The Acalanes girls' varsity volleyball team has extended their interleague win streak to three games in an impressive exhibit at home over Dublin on Tuesday, October 5. After a bleak start to the season, falling to both Miramonte and Campolindo, the Lady Dons now improve to 3-2 in DFAL play and 4-6 overall.
Acalanes is a team budding with young talent; of the fourteen players, nine juniors dominate the list in addition to three sophomores. Senior co-captains, outside hitter Natalie Chan and setter Gaby Gaubert, along with senior Jessica Henry, provide leadership and experience for the team.
The first set against Dublin was tightly contested, as Acalanes just scraped by to win the 26-24. The Lady Dons served first but dropped the point, setting the tone for what would turn out to be a rough beginning. Despite getting down 1-5 and trailing for much of the set, they turned on their focus to even the score at 15-15. After trading points in an intense rally, they fell behind 23-24. After that, Acalanes buckled down went on a run to finish out the set.
Acalanes lost the second set 21-25. This set was close as well. There were many long rallies and some difficult calls. However, the Lady Dons' lack of communication left a problematic hole in the middle that lead to their downfall. Due to their strong offense, Acalanes stayed in it until the end; the teams were tied, 20-20, but after some miss-hits, Dublin went on a 5-1 run to seal the set.
With new vengeance, the Acalanes took to the court for the third set, eager to redeem themselves. At one point, dominating 19-9, Acalanes was clearly in control. After letting four points in a row slide past them, acting coach Jennifer Moore called a time out. The Lady Dons quickly recovered and finished off the third set strongly, winning 25-17. In this last set, 72 percent of their points came off kills or aces.
Junior opposite hitter Tyanna Roy had a set-high five kills in an overpowering performance. Sophomore middle Lila Schoenfield came off the bench and impressed fans by contributing four kills and two aces.
Acalanes rode the momentum of the third set to close out the match, finishing the fourth set 25-17. Continuing their dominant offense: 68 percent of their points came off kills or aces in the set. Gaubert played an integral role in the win by contributing sets. She applauds her teammates for their morale: "We didn't get down on ourselves and stayed positive," she notes.
Coach Moore is also optimistic about the season and although hoping to establish more "focus coming into the [matches]," she anticipates continued "communication and intensity," characteristics exhibited by the Lady Dons in their impressive win.
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 | | Megan Daziel (#3) looks for a kill
|  | | Junior hitter Tyranna Roy had five kills in the third set. Photos Doug Kohen
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA