Glendale Adventist Academy volleyball loses nailbiter to rival San Gabriel Academy

SAN GABRIEL — Glendale Adventist Academy’s girls’ volleyball team had racked up eight wins in its first nine matches and looked to add to that early season success with a win on the road against rival San Gabriel Academy.

The Cougars looked ready to make that happen after forging an early advantage in the fifth and deciding game, but it was not to be. The host Eagles came soaring back in the final game on Tuesday afternoon to snatch the nonleague victory away, defeating Glendale Adventist Academy 22-25, 25-13, 24-26, 25-16, 15-12.

“I’m just really proud of my girls,” Cougars senior Marefat Mahta said. “From here on out we are going to work even harder. We’re not going to let this stop us for the rest of the season.”

The Cougars (8-2), who scored the first point in all five games, started the final game with an outside kill from Paige Singleton and soon held a four-point cushion. Another kill from the outside, this time from Kristine Nicolas, put the visitors up, 10-7, and just five points from putting away their rivals, prompting an Eagles timeout. After that, San Gabriel Academy (4-1) scored the next six points, including three aces by Francine Alvarez, to surge ahead. Singleton had two more kills down the stretch, but the Eagles held strong, finishing the match with an outside kill from Krizelle Alvarez.

“[San Gabriel Academy] did a great job of putting pressure on us,” Cougars Coach Gared Luquet said. “We tried our best to give it back to them, but I think it was a few too many errors on our side.”

Both squads excelled from the service line, combining for 40 aces. Glendale led the way with 21, paced by eight aces from sophomore libero Camille Pizarro. Cougar Angela Encinas chipped in five aces and Singleton had four. The top mark for the Eagles went to Krizelle Alvarez with eight, followed by Francine Alvarez with five.

Glendale Adventist, which was a fellow member of the Westside League with its rival until 2009 but now plays in the Independence League, was led in kills by Singleton. The sophomore had 12, with Nicolas joining her in double digits with 11. Down the stretch, it was Nicolas who got hot for the Cougars, consistently putting kills down from the outside with the match on the line.

“[Nicolas] had her opportunities and she was lights out. She did amazing,” Luquet, in his third year, said. “We talked about earning your spot and waiting for that opportunity and I think she just shined tonight.”

Eagle Krizelle Alvarez had 13 kills to tie for match-high honors with teammate and fellow outside Jessica Choi. Senior Emely Dalla Tor had seven.

Game one started with an ace down the line by Encinas. The opening game was tied as late as 21-21. An ace by Singleton put her team one point away and, after her next serve hit the net, a long Eagles serve ended the first game with the Cougars victorious.

Game two was started with a kill from Singleton, followed by three consecutive aces to three separate parts of the court by Pizarro to open an early lead. Midway through the game, the Eagles caught up as their hitters got going and passed Glendale Adventist. The final margin of 12 marked the largest of the match for either side.

Game three looked sure to go San Gabriel Academy’s way as it held a 24-21 advantage. But after three straight Eagles mistakes tied the score, the Cougars went ahead on an ace from Pizarro that floated over the net and fell into the short court to set up Singleton, who ended the game on the next point with a kill from the outside.

After Singleton opened game four with a kill, the rest was all Eagles. Although the Cougars rallied to close within one at 17-16, San Gabriel Academy scored eight of the final 10 points to force the decisive fifth game.

“We have some higher goals for ourselves [in league] this year,” Luquet said. “So we’re kind of using this as a fun rivalry game to prepare us for a tougher league schedule.”