Vander Woude helps rally Stone Ridge Christian into volleyball section final
Coach Ken Shaw said the key to Stone Ridge Christian’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoff run might be the health of Aubriana Vander Woude’s ankle.
The junior was a dominating force for the Knights during a two-week stretch in the middle of the season but was slowed down the stretch as the ankle began to nag.
Vander Woude showed no ill effects Tuesday night. Her match-high 15 kills and overall net play helped Stone Ridge rally from a set down to defeat Sacramento Country Day 21-25, 25-15, 26-24, 25-11 in the semifinals. The third-seeded Knights advanced to the title match for the third consecutive season and will square off with No. 1 Woodland Christian on Saturday at noon at Tokay High School in Lodi.
“I think the bus ride got to the girls,” Shaw said. “We actually did show up a little early, but our warmup was flat. The girls honestly looked a little tired, and it carried over into the first set.”
The two-hour ride wasn’t the only thing going against Stone Ridge in the first set. Senior setter Marina Ontis suffered an ankle injury just before the end of practice Monday, forcing Stone Ridge to play a 5-1 system – using just one setter –for the first time all season. As a result, setter Tara Silva, Vander Woude and Justine De Jager never left the court.
Shaw said the group eventually adjusted to the new rotation and Vander Woude helped hit Stone Ridge out of its early funk. De Jager (13 kills) and Sarah Jordan (11) followed suit, and the Knights (20-10) pulled away in set two.
The third set likely decided the match. Stone Ridge trailed 23-20 but stormed back to tie it 23-23. The Cavaliers got to set point, but the Knights finished with a 3-0 run to eke out the win. Country Day never recovered, as Stone Ridge quickly finished set four. Silva totaled 35 assists, and Ellie Ann Wander Dussen had 41 digs and five aces.
“We’re excited to see somebody new in the championship game,” Shaw said. “We’ve never played Woodland Christian before, but on MaxPreps they look fantastic. We’re going to have to play our best, but I know this group of girls is up to it. I’m so proud of them.”
Vacaville Christian 3, Le Grand 0 in Vacaville – The Bulldogs’ magical run through the Division V playoffs ended with a 25-17, 25-9, 25-9 semifinal loss.
The grit and scrap Le Grand (11-7) displayed to win two five-set thrillers and reach the semis eluded it Tuesday night. Katie Farnsworth paced the Bulldogs with six kills and 19 digs, and Alyssa Bueno had eight assists.
“We killed ourselves,” Le Grand coach Gia Priddell said. “It didn’t feel like we ever got off the bus, and we just made too many mistakes. We never got our offense going, and our defense was not nearly as good as it’s been.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Vander Woude helps rally Stone Ridge Christian into volleyball section final."