The Cupertino Courier
Sports
Photograph by Vicki Thompson
Homestead senior middle blocker Justine Wales, going up at the net in playoff victory, had seven kills last week, but the Mustangs lost in four games to Grass Valley in the NorCal finals.
Great years ends for Homestead girls in NorCal volleyball finals
By Mike Barnhart
Homestead's fantastic volleyball run came to an end last week, but not without a valiant effort.
After making the long ride to Grass Valley, the Mustangs lost the California Interscholastic Federation Northern California championship game to top seed Nevada Union in four games. The Mustangs finished their season with a 29-7 record after the host Miners beat them 27-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-17 on Nov. 27.
A victory would have put Homestead into the state championship match last Saturday night at San Jose State University. Instead, Nevada Union advanced and lost to Southern California champion Lakewood in four games. The Miners finished the season with a record of 44-5.
Junior Katherine Fischer played her typical outstanding game for Homestead with 21 kills against Nevada Union. Sophomore Tori Carroll had 12 kills, senior Justine Wales drilled seven and senior Allie Fickett chipped in with four.
Carroll made two blocks and Fickett and Wales had one each. Fickett also scored a service ace, as did junior Melissa Cheng and Diana Moberg. Cheng had assists on 43 of the Mustangs' 47 kills.
Although coach Matt Hoffman's Homestead roster had seven players listed at 5-foot-10, Nevada Union's line-up featured 6-foot outside hitter Sarah McAtee and 6-foot-1 middle blocker Kylie Miraldi. The two outstanding seniors will play for San Jose State next fall.
Fischer, who earlier this season announced University of Oregon as her college choice, will be among the returning players for the Mustangs next fall. Seniors who played their final match for the Mustangs were Fickett, Wales, Lauren Hoopes and Becca Gularte.
Along with Fischer, players who figure to return next fall include juniors Cheng, Nicole Radish, Elizabeth Case and Colleen Fitzgerald and sophomores Moberg, Katie Phan and Carroll.
