EMPIRE LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL : Los Alamitos Upends Esperanza in 5 Games

Los Alamitos handed Esperanza its first Empire League volleyball loss, 13-15, 15-5, 12-15, 15-2, 15-3, Thursday.

Esperanza (6-2, 3-1) took an 11-5 lead in the first game, but Los Alamitos (8-1, 4-0) came back to tie, 13-13. Two hitting errors gave the Aztecs the first game. Esperanza made nine hitting errors in the second game. Game 3 was the turning point. Esperanza took a 12-6 lead, but junior middle blocker Stacey Laitsch served for six consecutive points to tie, 12-12. Middle blocker Amy Nihipali hit through the block for the Aztec point, and Griffin Coach Pattie Laird tried to call a third timeout, one over the limit.

After a dispute with the scorers, the Los Alamitos bench was given a red card for the blunder, which put Esperanza at game point. Outside hitter Kristy Kierulff hit cross-court to give Esperanza a 2-1 lead in games.

But rather than discourage the Griffins, the loss seemed to make them refocus. In the final two games, Los Alamitos outhit Esperanza, 22-11, and held Esperanza to a below-.500 hitting percentage, while hitting .857 and .909.

Laitsch and senior outside hitter Maria Bowden each had 21 kills. Bowden had an ace, six block assists and two solo blocks. Laitsch added an ace and three blocks.

Kierulff and Lynette Anderson led the Aztecs with 12 kills each. Nihipali led both teams with six solo blocks and three assists.

“The pivotal point was that the girls started to adjust, started playing from the heart,” Laird said.