Deadly spikes throughout the game led conference powerhouse Solano Community College (11-1 in the Bay Valley Conference, 16-10 overall) to a victory over Contra Costa College in straight sets (25-8, 25-14, 25-12) Friday in the Gymnasium.
The match, the final home game of the season for the Comets, started a bit sloppy for the Comets (2-11 in the BVC, 2-18 overall) with a few errors, but the team and coaches quickly realized their real problem on the court — that would be dealing with Solano outside hitter Destiny Greenwood.
Comet middle blocker Makaya Thomas said, “All my coach (Christy Tianero) wanted me to do was to focus on (Greenwood) and don’t block anyone else, just her.”
Thomas took the challenge head-on as she was able to block Greenwood a few times. However, getting to Greenwood’s side of the net fast enough proved tough.
Thomas said Solano did a good job setting up Greenwood with quick plays that were difficult to react to.
“I was trying to get to her, but she was quick,” Thomas said.
From start-to-finish, Greenwood constantly pressured CCC’s defense with powerful spikes that were set up by her teammate, setter Mia Pemental.
Greenwood finished the match with 16 kills and Pemental had 23 assists.
After another one of Greenwood’s high-flying spikes pushed the lead to 21-9 for the Falcons in the second set, Tianero was forced to call another time out to try and change her team’s defensive game plan
to stop Greenwood.
“It needs to be practiced in order for it to really work,” Tianero said about why the game plan shift didn’t make much of a difference throughout the match.
CCC did not have a problem defending anyone on the Falcon squad not named Greenwood, using many impressive digs.
The Comets have just one more game to play this season when they host Yuba College at 6 p.m. tonight in the Gymnasium.
Against Solano, Comet right setter Victoria Matue had a strong game on defense racking up 16 digs, the most among any player. Libero Delanie Baca helped her out with a solid eight digs as well.
Baca attributed part of the loss to a lack of energy at the start of each set.
“When we’re louder it’s more intimidating. We weren’t hyped up. We got scrappy toward the end of each set, but we need to start out that way.”
Thomas said, “We could’ve done so much better, so much better. I feel like we were down and a little intimidated by number 4 (Greenwood). We’re not bad. We’re a good team, but we are a catch-up team and we always start playing really well when the set or game is almost over, which sucks.”
Tianero said she really wants to see her team put everything together and have a great game to end the season tonight against Yuba.
Sophomore Thomas said, “I want to win and do amazing because it’s potentially my last game, so I want to go all-out.”