Acalanes girls volleyball lost 3-2 to rival Las Lomas on Thursday, Oct. 15, after leading two sets to none. Senior Ella Chong left with an injury early in the fourth set, and the Knights rallied to take the final three, according to the Acalanes Boosters.
The result marked a sharp turnaround from late September, when Las Lomas swept the Dons 3-0 on Acalanes' home court. This time, Acalanes pushed the Knights to the brink while playing without senior middle Sydney Scovic, who was sidelined by illness, the recap reported.
Chong helped Acalanes pull away from a 16-16 tie in the opening set with a kill and a turn serving. Senior Harper Fox also contributed from the service line as the Dons won 25-21.
Acalanes recovered from a 24-20 deficit to win the second set 28-26. Senior middle Devyn Murphy scored a kill to begin the comeback, while Amelia Easley’s serving and contributions from Chong and Murphy helped extend the set.
Acalanes led two sets to none against a team that had swept them weeks earlier.
Las Lomas won the third set 25-20. Early in the fourth, Chong was injured in a collision with a teammate and did not return, according to the recap. Las Lomas won that set 25-20 to tie the match.
In the fifth set, Acalanes trailed 7-2 before mounting another rally. Junior outside hitter Abby Haimovici contributed a kill and served during the comeback, and senior Meher Jeyakrishnan added an ace and a kill. The Dons narrowed the deficit to 11-9, but Las Lomas won the set to complete its comeback.
The Dons' back row also stood out. Junior libero Fran Barbano and seniors Sahar Noroozi and Lourdes Smith earned praise for receiving serves and defending attacks, according to the Boosters' recap.
Acalanes enters the week 8-12 overall and 5-3 in league play, sitting third in the Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division, according to MaxPreps. The Dons travel to Campolindo on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. and host Berean Christian on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m.
