Last season the Mount Madonna boy’s volleyball team fell in the league finals to San Lorenzo Valley High School, losing their shot at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title. This year the Hawks earned their revenge on the Cougars beating them 25-17, 25-23, 25-21 to capture the league tournament. The game was played May 6 at Aptos High.
“We definitely didn’t forget that loss,” Hawks Coach P.K MacDonald said. “Senior
(outside hitter), P.K Haddis used the loss for sure in his pre game speech to the guys.”
The No. 3 seeded Cougars came into the game as underdogs after fighting their way back from being behind two games to one against No. 2 Pacific Collegiate School on May 5. The Cougars had lost to PCS twice during the regular season.
However, SLV ended up in the finals against No.1 seeded Mt. Madonna after winning the last two games for the 3-2 victory.
“This season was really, just not an easy season for us,” Cougar opposite Xavier Chavez said. “With only six guys out here, we players never got breaks, we didn’t have huge support and still, all things considered, we played great.”
The Cougars bench was a problem all season. There are six men required on the floor, and the Cougars had no one on the bench.
SLV’s first year Head Coach, Nate Hill, had nothing but praise for his short staffed squad.
“These guys were warriors,” Hill said. “They made this season so much fun. The seniors were very talented and the team really came together. They had to, and they did.”
The players gave the league champs a run for their money.
“There is no question they have some of the best athletes in the league,” Coach MacDonald said of the Cougars talent pool. “We have to take them very seriously every time we play them because their athletes can do things we just can’t do.”
Despite the second place finish in the league tournament, the Cougars, who finished third during the regular season, missed an at-large berth to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
