Club Shoreline Volleyball Club

February 21, 2010: 12’s League Tournament #1

Finish: 2nd place

The 12’s team made incredible progress this tournament! They played as a cohesive, focused team and showed how much heart and determination they really have. By the end of day, the girls racked up an amazing 94 aces and proved, most importantly to themselves, that they are capable of competing against the top teams in this league.

In pool play, the 12’s won their first match handedly against Salinas Valley, with great serving from Alysha, Jen and Amanda. In the 2nd and final match of pool, the 12’s played City Beach, the team they lost to at the Qualifier’s in the semi-finals. Unfortunately, despite winning the 1st game and passing much better, the 12’s made several untimely service and hitting errors that ended up costing them the match in 3 games.

In play offs, the 12’s team seemed unstoppable! They won 3 straight matches, all in 2 games, and beat City Beach in the semi-finals, to earn themselves a place in the finals against Eclipse. Even though the 12’s lost the final match, it still felt like a victory because of how connected and focused they played. Eclipse is a fantastic team and our team hopes to play them again soon!

Amanda led the team with 33 aces alone. Kate was our team’s backbone. Jen did a fantastic job asserting herself more on the court, passing overhead, and mixing hits with tips. She racked up 20 kills and 15 aces! Lexi, one of our two setters, made excellent set choices. Danielle and Naomi kept our team offensive with their greatly improved passing and digging skills. Daisy served consistently and showed that she is a true team player.

For the next league tournament, the 12’s will continue to focus on passing in serve-receive, playing as defensively as the opposing team is offensive, and staying connected to the ball. Congratulations 12’s on a memorable tournament and a much deserved 2nd place! This was truly a team effort and it was a pleasure for all to watch you shine!

MVP of the tournament: Kate for dominating on the court offensively and defensively! Her stats say it all: 21 aces, 23 successful passes in serve-receive, and 39 kills. Kate plays with remarkable composure and intention for such a young player.

Game Ball goes to: Danielle for doing an outstanding job of passing and getting her platform around the ball, and for staying aggressive and focused at the net. Danielle contributed 22 successful passes in serve-receive and 7 kills. And to Naomi for controlled and calm defensive-ups and for staying connected to the ball at all times. Naomi added 20 successful passes in serve-receive and did a tremendous job staying low and digging both hard driven balls and tips. Both Danielle’s and Naomi’s passing were critical to our team’s success!

February 20, 2010: 14’s League Tournament #1

Finish: 2nd place

The 14’s team had another successful tournament. They started off the day very strong and handedly beat the two teams in their pool: Monterey Bay 13’s (25-8, 25-6) and Crush (25-12, 25-15). The 14’s didn’t have the nerves in the morning like they did in the Qualifier and they also drew on their experience from their strong play at the President’s Day Tournament.

Consistent, yet aggressive, serving was one of the team’s main goals for this tournament and the girls definitely met that goal. Kendra got some back row play, as they played with a 5-1 for part of the day, and proved that she can serve consistently, only missing one serve all day. Emily really got the hang of serving with an open hand from the start and ended the day with two aces. Noelle’s confidence continued to build in the back row with a total of three digs and two aces. Maya had the opportunity to serve in the morning because she played DS (defensive specialist), instead of her usual position of libero (a libero can’t serve in club) and rattled off four aces.

In playoffs, Shoreline 14’s beat Monterey 14-1 (25-7, 25-8). That match put them in the finals against their rivals, Surf City. Shoreline played excellent in the first game, serving Surf City off the court and winning 25-8. Unfortunately, the 14’s had a slow start in game two and Surf City barely beat them 22-25. Although they fought hard in the end, they couldn’t get out of the big hole they started in. They had another slow start in game 3 and lost 8-15.

The girls are learning from the loss and know they must stay focused and disciplined throughout an entire match, not just in the first game. The young setters continue to impress and both Ali and Claire set great the entire day. In support of the team’s goal of aggressive, yet consistent serving, both these girls demonstrated they possess serving talent in addition to setting talent, with Claire getting 17 aces for the day and Ali contributing seven aces. Both Miranda and Alea played solid and consistent all day long, with Miranda tallying three digs for the day and Alea tallying four digs.

MVP of the tournament: Bella for serving aggressively all day and dominating from the back line with a total of 13 aces. Bella also contributed 17 kills for the day, loves to block and has great presence and focus at the net, a crucial skill for a middle blocker. Congratulations Bella!

Game Ball goes to: Melissa for focusing on a consistent toss all day long, which greatly improved her serving accuracy. With 14 aces for the day, Melissa was an absolute cannon on the service line. She has tremendous focus and determination that has helped her improve both her serving and all around game by leaps and bounds. Congratulations Melissa!

February 13-15, 2010: 18’s President’s Day Tournament

Finish: 11th place out of 52 teams (starting seed 23rd)

The 18’s team had a successful tournament weekend. They proved they are a team with tremendous chemistry both on and off the court. When serving both tough and in, and adding their calm defense and smooth offense, they dominated. Overall, the team finished 6-3 for the weekend. On Saturday, the team played steady in the first two matches and lost the third match to a team who simply out served us. Ending with a disappointing loss, the team re-focused Sunday, determined to take responsibility for their jobs! The team executed their plan beautifully and won all their games, earning the right to play the #1 and #4 seeds of the tournament the next day.

On Monday, the team got to step up and play Main Beach, the #1 seed. Hanna had two major blocks that really set the tone for how important she is at the net and Taylor stayed aggressive swinging. The team learned a lot in the match, most importantly, how to make a team beat you instead of you losing the game. They lost in two but their battle continued into the next match against Endline, the #11 seed.

The 18’s team ended up victorious in 3 because of the girl’s determination to stay connected to the ball and to serve tough and in! Hanna, Nikki and Mikayla had critical serving runs that allowed the rest of the team to do their job; a big block by Camille, a dig by Franny, a line swing by Taylor. Taylor’s consistent defense in this match gave the setters, Rose and Mikayla, “butter” passes to run the offense and get the middles involved.

This tournament illuminated the team’s strengths and weaknesses and provided them with a clear picture of what to improve on. The team looks forward to their next practice where they will build on their offense and defense in preparation for the next tournament.

Congratulations 18’s on a great finish!

MVP of the tournament: Taylor for her calm yet explosive court presence. She knows how to better the ball, and how to establish the angle hit and then bang one down the line. And her passes are “butter”!

Game Ball goes to: Hanna for her 2 key blocks, her backrow passing when we needed her to step it up and for her tough and in serving runs! And to Rose for her determination on running a smooth offense. She also proved she can pass and play defense without any hesitation!

February 13-15, 2010: 16’s President’s Day Tournament

Finish: 135th out of 172 teams (started as 134th seed)

The first day of the tournament for the 16's was a rough day. They struggled to connect as a team as they let balls drop without a concerted effort to communicate. They lost all of their matches on Saturday, despite a sincere attempt to accomplish their goals. In the end, the team made too many errors, allowing their opponents to gain both momentum and confidence.

The 16's started off playing the second day with hesitation and lost their first match. Before beginning the second match, the team was able to sort out their miscommunication on the court. With new beginnings, it seemed like a whole different team playing together as one. They came out strong and consistent, keeping the pressure on the other side of the net. With strong serving from Alyssa and Annalise, the 16’s compiled a big lead to win their first match of the tournament. For the rest of the day, the hitters were consistent and placed the ball in deep corners on off plays.

The last day was a testament to the 16’s fitness and ability to play “their game” for an entire day. The 16’s won every match on Monday! They controlled the outcome of each play by serving tough and deep, staying disciplined on defense and switching up their offense by mixing up the sets. With phenomenal serve receive from Allison, the offense lit up the court! Faith contributed 17 kills and 5 aces, as well as her energetic presence that helped keep the momentum building and Phoebe kept the pressure on with challenging deep serves and amazing defense.

MVP of the tournament: Molly for her outstanding hitting performance all 3 days, earning 17 kills and only making 2 hitting errors in the last two matches on Sunday, and contributing 14 kills and 8 aces on Monday. She stayed very disciplined on defense and never hesitated to hit the floor to pass the ball.

Game Ball goes to: Jenna for her growth as a middle in targeting corners and making a small switch in her approach in order to take a full swing. The last day, she contributed 2 aces, 7 kills and 2 blocks. Jenna showed tremendous growth during the tournament.

February 13-15, 2010: 14’s President’s Day Tournament

Finish: 43rd place out of 122 teams (started as 85th seed)

The 14’s team showed what they are made of this weekend: heart, determination, good ball control skills and the ability to not give up. The team pulled off a couple of close matches, as they went 6-2 for the weekend and finished 42 seeds higher than the seed they entered the tournament with.

The girls went undefeated the first day! They were seeded third in their pool and came out first. The girls served very aggressively and, although they are still working on consistency, the team had a total of 52 aces. Claire and Melissa racked up 9 aces each! Emily played the libero position for a match on Saturday and had some great back row attacks, getting 3 kills. With our setters getting more sets to our outside hitters, Miranda was able to get some great swings on the ball and finished day one with 7 kills. Kendra’s front row play continued to improve and with her getting more “5” sets, she was able to get 3 kills on Saturday.

Because the 14’s team did so well the first day, they were put in a pool of tougher teams on Sunday, but managed to go 2-1, losing only to Golden Bears, a solid team, in 3 games. Alea had a phenomenal day and racked up 21 kills.

On the final day, this gutsy team fought hard to win their bracket, but lost in 3 games in the semi-finals to a fundamentally sound team, SF Tigers. Melissa provided solid play all weekend with her aggressive serving and her consistent passing. Bella was a force at the net throughout the weekend, adding smart tips to her arsenal of weapons. During the first game on Monday, Noelle told Jen she wanted to get a kill and she got her wish: she ended the match with a great line hit.

This team just continues to get better. The team chemistry is a big reason why the 14’s are starting off their season with a bang!

MVP of the tournament: Maya for being an absolute defensive stud this weekend! She had some very impressive one-arm digs against some girls who could really hit the ball. Her ability to read the ball and react is a key component in being a great libero. Throughout the weekend, she racked up 40 digs! She played outside for us one game on Sat and showed that she has a great float serve that got her 5 aces in one game.

Game Ball goes to: Alli and Claire for an excellent job setting all weekend! They both worked hard and stayed focused as they learned their rotations, got their feet to the ball, became good vocal leaders on the court and set more 4’s and 5’s. Setters are the “quarterbacks” of a volleyball team and their position is difficult and demanding. Both Claire and Alli drastically improved their setting and leadership skills throughout our many matches this weekend.

February 7, 2010: 14’s League Qualifier Tournament

Finish: 2nd Place

The 14’s team had an impressive first tournament in which all girls contributed to the success of the day. We won our pool, beating both teams, Adrenaline and Extreme, in two games. It took the team a game or two to get the butterflies under control, but once they did, their skill level continued to increase throughout the day. By winning our pool, we earned a spot in the Championship bracket to compete against the other pool winners. We handedly beat VC Crush in two games in the semifinals, practically serving them off the court. We played Surf City in the final and, although we took them to three games, we lost 13-15 in the third game.

Our two setters, Alli and Claire, did a great job getting the rotation down and hustling on the court. Our middles, Alea and Bella, contributed some great offensive plays and gave it their all throughout the day (with only two middles, it makes for a long day!). Our outside hitters, Noelle, Melissa, Miranda and Emily (who also play back row for us) all provided aggressive serving and consistent passing. Kendra, our right side player, had a couple of good blocks at the net and once our setters get more comfortable setting a 5, she too, will get some more sets in the games. For the next tournament, our setters will continue to work on pushing out those four sets so that the outside hitters can take more swings on the ball.

Kristin and Jen were very proud of the way the girls played and saw much improvement throughout the day!

MVP of the tournament: Alea for her steady and aggressive play all day long. Alea contributed 15 kills, nine aces and four digs. Alea made great offensive plays in the front row and proved that she can get the job done in the back row. Her leadership as one of our captains helped the team play together in our first tournament of the year.

Game Ball goes to: Maya for her stellar passing and talking on the court. Maya contributed six digs. Communication was a main focus of this tournament and Maya’s vocal presence kept the team focused and working together.

February 6, 2010: 16’s League Qualifier Tournament

Finish: 2nd Place

For their first tournament, the 16’s team focused on maintaining high energy throughout the day, reducing unforced errors, and always “bettering the ball”. The team struggled at moments on serve receive. However, this did not stop them from being aggressive and continuing to work as a team. Each player remained positive toward one another and themselves, which positively influenced the girls’ confidence throughout the matches, and in turn, their performance.

The girls started the morning off on fire, winning both of their pool play matches in two games! The team served 14 service aces in the first match alone! In bracket play, the team’s energy was through the roof! After shaking off some pre-game nerves, the 16’s played their best match of the day, winning in two and earning a spot in the finals. In the end, the 16’s lost the third game of the finals 12 to 15 and finished 2nd place in their first tournament of the season!

Through out the day, our defense was consistently strong with both Allison and Annalise stepping up to play libero, while our offense continued to become more consistent and more aggressive. Our front row hitters, Faith, Molly, Maddy, Annalise, Alyssa, Marley, Phoebe, and Jenna, did an incredible job mixing up their hits and targeting deep corners. They also did a great job blocking, which is something we have not worked on much! Our setters Amy, Allison and Annalise did a great job running plays, releasing to the net and staying disciplined on defense.

Moving forward, we will continue to work on bettering the ball with each contact and being decisive in our decision-making.

Congratulations 16’s on an incredible start to the season!

MVP of the tournament: Faith for her outstanding play. Faith served seven aces and led the team with an amazing 22 kills. She had an incredible fire and energy both on and off the court, which was undeniably contagious.

Game Ball goes to: Molly for her determination to set and hit both line and angle in each game. Molly’s offensive strength greatly contributed to the team’s success. And to Allison for staying disciplined on defense at all times. Allison played both libero and setter and led our team with defensive digs contributing largely to the offensive success of our front row hitters.

January 31, 2010: 18’s League Qualifier Tournament

Finish: 3rd Place

The 18’s team dove into their first tournament with excitement and confidence. They were eager to engage both their unified defense and aggressive offense in their first showing of the season, and that was evident in their play. They went on to complete pool play undefeated, approaching play-offs with determination and humility.

It was neither the offense nor the defense alone that carried the team, but a cohesive balance of the two. Rose and Mikayla made the offense run smoothly, with brilliant set choices and outstanding hustle. Reinforced by consistent and reliable defense, from players such as Lindsay and Taylor, hitters like Franny and Camille could execute even the quickest middle sets. Alex demonstrated her versatility attacking the ball from almost every position on the court, and Hanna and Nikki were leaders in both the front row and the back row. Emily, still recovering from an injury, provided much appreciated moral support.

The girls struggled adapting to tough service calls, but had streaks of brilliance, including a double digit run by Mikayla, and showed an overall improvement in their accuracy. In play-offs, the team began with an unfortunate loss, but managed to re-focus, re-group, and pull together the last game for a win. Taylor skillfully turned the ball line and beat the block, Hanna had a phenomenal back row attack, and Franny muscled by the defense in several middle hits.

Congratulations 18’s on an impressive jump start to the season!

MVP of the tournament: Nikki, whose overall play never went below an 8, and whose consistency on the outside hits contributed immensely to the team’s success.

Game Ball goes to: Hanna, for her performance in the back row, reflective of her hard work at developing her all-around game and Alex, for her immense improvement in hitting, and her success in finally “hitting the ball with her whole hand!”

January 30, 2010: 12’s League Qualifier Tournament

Finish: 4th Place

The 12’s team proved to themselves at this tournament that they are a competitive team with incredible potential! They came into this tournament with one goal: to pass, set and hit as many times as possible. They truly want to be volleyball players and it showed. Several coaches even commented on their strength and skill.

In pool play, the 12’s team dominated and finished undefeated! Jen, Kate and Daisy literally served opposing teams off the court. Lexi, one of our two setters, set with composure and made critical defensive plays at the net. Danielle made several phenomenal passes and Naomi showed great defensive hustle in the back row.

Unfortunately, the 12’s fell quickly in the first play-off match against Sun Sports, an outstanding team. They struggled in serve receive and couldn’t find any momentum. It was a tough loss and one that proved hard to shake. In the final match of the day, they played Carmel Beach. Shoreline hung tough, but with their confidence a bit shaken, they continued to struggle in serve receive and to make their first serves.

In the end, the 12’s team earned a much deserved and respectable 4th place finish. They fought hard all day and played with a tremendous amount of heart. In preparation for the next tournament, the 12’s will diligently focus on siding-out in serve receive and how to gain momentum in a tough game.

Congratulations girls on an exciting tournament!

MVP of the tournament: Kate for her all-around awesome skills. She passed, served, hit and played defense with confidence, determination and focus. She is a true leader on and off the court.

Game Ball goes to: Amanda for her growth as a setter during the tournament and for her key serves during several of the matches.