BHS Volleyball: Hawks beat Aztecs

BARSTOW• The Silverado Hawks volleyball team dominated Barstow High School most of the match Thursday evening at the Don Bilsborough Gymnasium for a 3-1 win on Thursday.

Despite a late comeback the Hawks outlasted the Aztecs 7-25, 19-25, 26-24, 22-25.
The Hawk’s senior captain Shavonda Gates lead her team and the match with four aces in the contest along with six kills of her own.

“I am proud of my team’s play.” Gates said.

“We came out heavy,” Silverado coach Tyrone Brown said. “We fought all game long. Eventually we finished and won, but it was not our best performance.”

Through the first game and a half the Aztec defense couldn’t keep pace with the Hawks. The Hawks lead by as many as 16 points in game one. Silverado took game one in easy fashion 25-7 behind junior Azieanna Smith. Smith led the Hawks with three kills, two aces, and a block at the net.

The Aztecs are riding a season-high, three-game losing streak and Barstow coach Kathy O’Neill’s team was trying out net tactics in hopes of erasing their misfortunes of late.

“We worked on better blocking and attacking.” O’Neill said.

 In between games two and three Aztec coach O’Neill let her players do the talking and coaching. The players stood on the court discussing options to get them back into the game.

Trailing 24-19 in game three and down to their final point Aztec’s senior captain Lacey Hill converted three aces in a row followed up by two Silverado errors. Allowing the Aztecs back in the game. Barstow took game three 26-24 forcing a game four.

“(It was a) good comeback, we started to function as a team as the game went along,” O’Neill said.

The Hawk’s were in control once again in game four. Holding onto the lead the Aztecs marched back behind Nicole Mathews. After her third ace of the match she led the Aztecs into the fourth tie of the game 18-18. Brown took a late timeout after the home fans started to get louder.

Brown told his team during his timeout  to focus, to focus on defense, and play the game to win.

“I didn’t want the same thing to happen twice.” Said Brown.

The Aztecs will hope to rebound from their losing streak Monday as they travel to Silverado for a rematch.