Hamilton registers volleyball sweep of Gilbert

September 11, 2014 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Hamilton's sweep of Gilbert High wasn't supposed to be as easy as it turned out to be Thursday night.

Playing on what universally is a hostile environment at Gilbert, Hamilton won the battle of unbeaten girls volleyball squads, 25-16, 25-20, 25-18.

Hamilton, last year's Division I runner-up, was up to the task making very few mistakes and taking full advantage of the many offered up by Gilbert. Hamilton is now 4-0 while Gilbert slipped to 4-1.

"I thought every phase of our game was good tonight," Hamilton coach Sharon Vanis said. "'I'm very pleased. The second set we got behind in a hurry, but got right back in it. Our first line of defense was good and so was the second. We know they like to go to their outsides and we defended well."

Gilbert didn't help itself in the opening set as the teams vied for momemum. The Tigers had six service errors and were whisted for four net violations. Not the recipe for knocking off Hamilton. The Huskies produced two service errors for the match; Gilbert finished with 13.

"Can't give most teams 10 free points and certainly not Hamilton," Gilbert coach Joe Hesse said. "We made a bunch of mistakes and and they didn't make any. They are a little ahead of where we are right now."

Hamilton didn't let its slow start to the second set bother it. Gilbert's Kaitlyn Lines served four successive aces to begin the set, but a few minutes later the Huskies were back in front, 7-6. Hamilton's attack was at its best in that set as senior McKenna Woodford, sophomore Preslie Anderson, junior Olivia Hallaran and senior Carley Bock took turns finishing sets from Jessica Williams.

Anderson finished with a team-high 10 kills, Woodford had seven and Hallaran added six. Williams had 27 assists and libero Hailey Babcock posted 17 digs.

The third set was much like the first. Hamilton controlled it with a small lead early and led by as much as 18-10. Gilbert committed three more service errors late in the set to blunt any kind of substantial rally.

"We never put pressure on them," Hesse said. "That was disappointing. Latel, we don't know how to beat them. I don't' know how. The girls don't know how. They're a very good team, and better than we are right now."

Thursday's loss by Gilbert to Hamilton was the sixth in a row and eight in the last nine meetings -- regular season, invitationals and playoffs. The Tigers last win over Hamilton came in 2011 in the big-school quarterfinals. Gilbert went on to win the state title that year.

Gilbert's stat leaders for the match were Makenna Martin with 12 kills and Lines with seven kills and four aces.