The562’s coverage of Long Beach Volleyball in the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by Misty May-Treanor and the Dream in Gold Foundation.
After losing to Long Beach Poly earlier last week, Wilson bounced back to beat the Jackrabbits 3-2 at Long Beach City College to claim a share of the Moore League title alongside Poly.
The match on the third court was the deciding factor of a league tie, or a Poly win. Wilson sophomores Kate VanderWal and Kierin Adams were able to find their groove as the sets continued, scraping by Poly 22-20 in the first set.
Poly senior Imajaleah Goggins and freshman Georgia Camandans came out strong in the second set, as Goggins line hits gave them momentum throughout the match. Wilsons’ ball placement ultimately set them ahead of the Jackrabbits, as they won the set 25-23.
“We knew how tough it was going to be after the game earlier this week, they’re solid in all of their pairs, we had to create better match-ups to win,” Wilson coach Gerald Aquiningoc said. “We were able to talk about their strategies between Monday and today, we hyped ourselves up to win and that’s what we came out here and did.”
Wilson’s top pair of juniors Kate Eckenrode and Chloe Pravednikov maintained their great connection to win their match and stay a top pair in the league.
The Bruins also got a win from the duo of senior Allanah Smith and junior Camille Agruipis. Smith was all over the court keeping balls alive, while Agruipis was almost unstoppable rolling shots to the deep corner.
Poly sophomore Simone Millsap was able to craft serves that barely went over the net, giving the number two pair some momentum throughout the match.
The Jackrabbits dominated on courts four and five, as junior Cynthia Hinojosa and freshman Hannah Ballunsay were quick on defense, and Ballunsays’ left-handed cut shots threw off Wilsons’ defense to win in two sets.
Senior Jojo Fuamatu and sophomore Emma Holder were able to craft line shots and scramble plays to keep the ball alive, defeating the Bruins’ freshman pair in two sets on the fifth court.
Moore League finals are scheduled for April 18-20 at LBCC.
