The Sunnyvale Sun
Sports
Homestead falls to Bellarmine in CCS volleyball title match
By Mike Barnhart
High school volleyball juggernauts Homestead and Bellarmine met three times in March tournaments, and twice the Mustangs prevailed as the better team.
Two months later, though, Bellarmine was better when it counted most--in the Central Coast Section championship game. The Bells were just good enough in three straight games to capture their seventh CCS title in 11 seasons on May 17 at Independence High in San Jose.
Homestead, coming off a thrilling, five-game victory over St. Francis in the semi-final round two nights earlier, fell behind quickly in the first game of the title match and lost 25-16. Homestead had chances to take both the second and third games, but Bellarmine rallied from behind in both to win 25-23 and 27-25.
"They were so on fire," Homestead coach Matt Hoffman said of the Bells. "They stopped our runs, and we couldn't stop their runs."
Homestead led by as much as 14-8 in the second game, before Bellarmine whittled away at the lead. The Bells took their first lead, 22-21, on a kill by senior opposite hitter Luke Grunbaum, but Homestead twice forced ties, including 23-23. The Bells scored the last two points on a fierce kill by Grunbaum through a Homestead block attempt and a successful block by another senior opposite, Greg Kaplow.
In the third game, Homestead again led until the latter stages. After Bellarmine coach Patrick Adams called a timeout with his team trailing 21-16, the Bells rallied for five straight points to tie.
The Mustangs went back in front, 22-21, but never could retake the lead. There were four more deadlocks, the last at 25, before Bellarmine closed out the match and raised its season record to 37-8.
Captain Ryan Bridge, a 6-foot-5 setter and one of nine Homestead seniors, applauded Bellarmine's grit.
"They played better than I ever saw them play before," Bridge said. "I absolutely thought we would win those last two games. We were up, but they just fought back harder."
Two nights earlier, Homestead outlasted St. Francis 25-19, 24-26, 25-17, 21-25, 15-13.
"That was a pure battle," Hoffman said of the semi-final match. "Paul Wadensweiler was on fire. He had a great last two matches."
The 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter had 14 kills and four blocks against St. Francis, and he added eight kills against Bellarmine. Middle blocker Ryan Dedrick led the way against the Lancers with 16 kills, and senior outside hitter Andrew Blazensky hit the floor for 13 digs.
"We played our hearts out," recalled Dedrick about the semi-final match, who followed his outstanding effort against St. Francis with 11 kills against the Bells.
Senior hitter Weston Buckner added seven kills and sophomore opposite Andrew Leamon contributed five for the Mustangs in the final match. Senior libero Bryan Nguyen, senior hitter Dale Park and sophomore middle blocker Luke Rosener also played key roles in the final two games.
"I'm not really disappointed that we lost," Bridge philosophized. "We've had a great season. One game doesn't change all that we've done."
"These players worked their butts off this season," praised Hoffman, who was assisted this season by Meghan McKinney, "and the seniors, in particular, have done a lot for this program."
Homestead finished the season 37-4 and ran its record to 87-15 over the past three years.
