USDHS Sweeps Into Playoffs’ 2nd Round

After USDHS’ three-game sweep of Taft in Tuesday’s opening round of the CIF/Reebok Girls’ Southern California Championships it was easy to see why the idea of forfeiting the match had crossed the mind of Taft Coach Bill Friend.

During the past week, this team from Central California traveled nearly 1,000 miles playing for the right to lose to the second-seeded Dons, 15-4, 15-7, 17-15. For a while, it looked like the Wildcats (16-2) had recovered from their van lag as they overcame an 11-4 deficit in the third game to lead, 15-14.

But Michelle Rico, USDHS’ 5-foot-9 middle hitter, gave Taft an early dismissal to get back on the road for the 250-mile drive home. Rico, a senior, had four consecutive kills, three of which denied the Wildcats the game point and gave the Dons a sideout. With her last kill, Rico stepped to the service line with USDHS (22-2) trailing, 15-14, and delivered three aces.

“We were playing tired,” Friend said. “You could see the potential in the third game. But this trip was a killer.”

USDHS looked flawless through most of the first two games, with junior Rose Dowling getting off impressive cross-court sets to the likes of Rico, who had 10 of her kills in the third game, and 5-10 senior Christina Alvarado, who finished with a match-high and season-high 23 kills. But Dons’ coach Rob Gorney chose to describe his team’s effort as average. One reason: Dowling, Rico, and another starter, Corinne Olvera, were playing with illnesses.

“We’re a lot stronger than we showed tonight,” said Gorney, whose team has won 18 matches in a row.