Volleyball team finishes third at Leland
Junior varsity claims third in Santa Barbara
By Dick Sparrer
Each team plays 12 matches in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League boys volleyball season.
But it appears two will be a little more important than the rest, at least as far as Los Gatos is concerned.
Los Gatos will face each of the other six teams in the circuit twice this season, but it will be the two matches against Homestead that Gatos coach Tom Jack sees as the most important.
"The two matches against Homestead will likely determine the league championship," said Jack, heading into Monday's clash with the Mustangs.
The two were to open the week in an important match on the Gatos floor, and they'll meet again on April 24 at Homestead with the SCVAL championship probably at stake.
Los Gatos pushed its league record to 4-0 last week with a lopsided 15-4, 15-8, 15-10 win over Wilcox.
Mason McKown was the Gatos kill leader with nine. Fletcher Anderson was close behind with seven, Neil Perry had six, Brady Smith hammered five and Max Haueter and Shaun Sullivan added four apiece.
Michael Conry led the Wildcats in service aces with eight. Anderson and Scott Stephenson chipped in with five apiece and Max Haueter had three.
The Cats pushed their season record to 17-3 with a third-place finish at the Leland Classic Tournament last weekend.
Gatos beat Alisal 15-7, 15-2, Fremont 15-4, 15-9 and Willow Glen 15-3, 15-6 in pool play before turning back host Leland 15-9, 15-4 in the championship playoffs.
But Los Gatos lost a tough 15-11, 5-15, 15-13 decision to St. Francis to fall out of the title race. The Lancers went on to lose to Mt. Madonna 15-10, 15-11 in the championship match. The champs are now 15-2 for the year.
The Los Gatos junior varsity finished third in the 10-team Santa Barbara Tournament over the weekend. The young Cats lost 15-4, 15-0 to San Marcos in pool play, but battled back with wins over Dos Pueblos 15-7, 17-15, St. Joseph's 15-4, 15-12 and Righetti 15-6, 15-2.
The Wildcats beat Santa Ynez in the playoffs, but lost 15-3 to Ventura in the final match. Ventura went on to lose to San Marcos in the championship round.
The Los Gatos junior varsity is now 19-3 for the year and 4-0 in the SCVAL.
The two Gatos teams will host Fremont on March 28, the JV match at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity match at 7 p.m.
The varsity will head south to the Santa Barbara Tournament on March 30.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
