Aragon volleyball back on track

Aragon (15-15) is one of five teams from the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division to qualify for the postseason. Three are still alive in CCS play, with Burlingame sweeping Westmoor in Tuesday’s Division III quarterfinals, and Menlo-Atherton upsetting Palo Alto in the Division I quarters.

“League play was tough,” Aragon head coach Annette Gennaro-Trimble said. “Obviously we have some good teams … so the competition in our league has risen, and it’s very good. So, that does help us prepare for CCS. … I think being in that league has helped us.”

Gennaro-Trimble was forced reinvent her starting lineup on the fly Tuesday due to an injury to senior setter Gabby Oaks. It was a difficult loss, for sure, as Oaks is the only player on the Dons roster with a playoff win to her credit. She was a sophomore two years ago when Aragon captured its second straight CCS Division II championship.

With Oaks sidelined, Aragon turned to junior Jordan Lee and sophomore Hunter Kwan to run the 6-2 offense. The result was a balanced attack that saw six different players get multiple kills in each of the first two sets.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries this year … so it’s not necessarily so set,” Gennaro-Trimble said. “So, when they come in, they’re ready to go because we’ve had so many out. So, they looked really good tonight.”

Junior middle Jessica Castroviejo took the lead through the middle, scoring three of her match-high seven kills in Game 1.

With the Dons holding a tight 11-9 lead, junior outside hitter Grace Nai stepped to the service line and navigated a 6-0 run. Nai delivered an ace to make it 13-9 before junior outside Isabella Bartewski rocked a cross-shot and senior Mina Mittler hammered a kill down the sideline off the right pin to make it 16-9.

Aragon totaled 13 team kills in the set and went on to duplicate the feat in Game 2.

“We like to mix it up,” Castroviejo said. “We practice different positions, so we’re very versatile in different spots. Our coach is always telling us to manage the ball, to place it in different places and set different hitters so the other team can never see what’s coming.”

In the second set, Aragon’s defense started to make an impact. Tied 2-2, senior middle Megan Grant produced a scrappy dig to extend a contentious rally, and on the ensuing series Nai, in the back row, wrestled up a diving save only to have it sail over the net and find the floor for an unlikely kill.

Sophomore libero Kathleen Suayan was all over the back row, totaling a team-high 15 digs. Bartlewski added seven digs, while Nai and senior Jenna Garrard had six apiece.

“We do really well when we communicate,” Gennaro-Trimble said. “So, that’s the emphasis, is just — communicate, communicate, communicate — because when that happens, we have energy on the floor and good things just happen.”

Aragon held a 23-19 lead late in the set but Lynbrook made a run to draw to within 1. So, when Lynbrook junior Sruti Elangovan served up an ace to close the score to 23-22, Gennaro-Trimble called a timeout. The effects loomed large as the pause seemed to ice down the server, who came out of the timeout only to fault into the net, giving the Dons set point.

Castroviejo put Game 2 away by hammering home on over dig to put Aragon up 2 sets to 0.

The Dons went on to fire five aces in Game 3, with two from Nai. The junior finished with four aces in the match.

Sophomore outside hitter Vaishnavi Kunapuli led Lynbrook (17-9) with six kills.

With the win, Aragon advances to Thursday’s semifinal round to face the winner between No. 1 Valley Christian and No. 9 Prospect.

Burlingame, M-A advance

In CCS Division I play, No. 7 Menlo-Atherton (17-17) stunned No. 2 Palo Alto in straight sets, 25-23, 25-20, 25-20. The Bears advance to Thursday’s semifinal round to face No. 3 Los Altos.

In Division II play, No. 2 Branham (24-4) eliminated No. 7 San Mateo (8-19) in three sets.

In Division III play, No. 1 Burlingame (22-6) swept 25-20 25-15, 25-15 past No. 8 Westmoor. The Panthers advance to Thursday’s semifinals to host No. 4 Half Moon Bay; No. 6 Cap fell in three sets at No. 3 Sacred Heart Cathedral.

In Division IV play, No. 2 Notre Dame-Belmont (16-10) swept 25-20, 25-6, 25-23 past No. 7 Terra Nova (18-10). The Tigers will host Mercy-Burlingame in Thursday’s semifinals; No. 6 Mercy-Burlingame (13-12) swept 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 past No. 3 Carmel (19-10).