The Cupertino Courier

Sports

Fischer helps Mustangs clinch CCS title

By Mike Barnhart

What has grown into a very big volleyball rivalry during the past three seasons blossomed into something magical for Homestead last Saturday night.

As prolific junior Katherine Fischer seemingly turned everything she touched into points, the Mustangs switched gears after a first-game loss to defending champion San Benito and captured the school's first Central Coast Section Division I championship.

In a reversal of last season's CCS finale, when San Benito won three games to one, Homestead earned the school's first CCS volleyball crown 20-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-9. The Haybalers also had knocked Homestead out of the 2005 semifinals.

"I guess the third time is a charm," smiled Fischer, an outstanding outside hitter who kept the Balers off balance with 25 kills at various speeds. "They knocked us out the past two years, but the whole team stepped up tonight to knock them out."

Homestead now makes its second trip in a row to the Northern California regional tournament, Nov. 19-27, with an eye on the state championship match, set for the Event Center at San Jose State University on Dec. 1. The Mustangs will host Lowell on Nov. 20, 7 p.m., and with a win will be home against on Nov. 24.

The Mustangs, who won a first-round home match in last year's NorCal regional, before bowing out against top-seeded Foothill of Pleasanton, will take a 27-10 record into this year's event.

Matt Hoffman, a successful coach of Homestead's boys for several years, took hold of the girls' program this season, and along with assistants Gary Carroll and Meghan McKinney, had the Mustangs ready to play San Benito, which had won two of three previous meetings this season.

After San Benito led all the way in game one, the Mustangs changed their fortunes by keying on the Balers' top hitter, senior Emily Kortsen, who earlier in the week accepted a scholarship to Utah State.

"We put two blockers in front of her and tried to make somebody else beat us," Hoffman explained, "and then the defense was digging out everything else."

Joining Fischer with strong play at the net were seniors Justine Wales (10 kills) and Allie Fickett (five) and sophomore Tori Carroll (six). Senior Lauren Hoopes and junior setter Melissa Cheng also made key blocks. Cheng's keen passing ability also set up several offensive kills for the Mustangs.

"After the first game, it was all about heart tonight," Hoffman praised. "We picked up our service game and the defense worked real hard."

Homestead scored 12 aces in the contest, three apiece by Fischer and senior libero Diana Moberg and two each by Cheng, Fickett and junior Elizabeth Case.

Other Homestead players are senior Becca Gularte, juniors Nicole Radish and Colleen Fitzgerald and sophomore Katie Phan.

Homestead trailed 13-10 in game two, but took the lead for good with a seven-point run to go ahead by four. Case's aces occurred during that spree.

The Mustangs went on a five-point run in the third game to wipe out a 6-4 deficit, and held on. Later, with just a 16-15 lead, the Mustangs reeled off seven points in a row. In the final game, the Mustangs stretched an 8-4 lead with runs of eight and six points.