We’ve been crowing all week about the Thursday matchup between Wilson and Poly’s girls’ volleyball teams. Because of Poly’s victory over Rosary last Saturday, the Jackrabbits climbed into the top 10 rankings for the Southern Section. That means the Moore League has three teams in the top 10, with Wilson, Lakewood, and Poly all pulling rank, so to speak. With both the Bruins and the Jackrabbits looking to make a statement on a big level, it’s no wonder the Poly gym was stuffed with excited fans expecting a big match. Although Wilson won in three sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-19, they weren’t disappointed.
Poly came out flat in the first set, going up 3-0 before Wilson went on a 10-1 run, then held their advantage for the 25-16 win. Throughout the set, there were no aces, and no errors, as two great defensive teams played sturdy ball. While Poly showed the flashes of brilliance they have all season, they also struggled to hit around Wilson, especially when sophomore Litara Kiet (who finished with 11 kills) wasn’t in the game. The second set saw Poly continue their streaky play, while Wilson continued to play disciplined, measured volleyball, making almost no mistakes and making Poly work for every point. The two teams tied at nearly every point on the way to 11-11, before Wilson went on a 9-5 run on the way to the 25-21 win. Wilson senior Janisa Johnson, who took control of the game as needed, was especially dominant in the second set; she went on to finish with 15 kills.
In the third set, Poly played more consistently, making fewer mistakes, but Wilson proved that unless they slip, they’re the team to beat in Southern California. Against a very talented team playing its best volleyball of the afternoon, the Bruins battled to a 16-16 tie, playing at the same measured and stifling tone they had all night. Then they showed champion-level grit, turning it on when they needed to and finishing out 9-3 for the third-set victory. Wilson coach Susan Pescar gave Poly credit, “That’s a very scrappy, good team,” she said. “It’s hard because they’re so even; they have a great libero, so we tried to keep the ball away from her.” (Nailah Waterfield, Poly’s senior libero, finished with 23 digs). When I brought up her team’s discipline, coach smiled and gave the credit to her players. “We have very good defensive players. It’s hard because we’re so even, I don’t want to let anybody sit on the bench, but I don’t want to pull someone when they’re playing well either.”
Poly head coach Leland McGrath shouldered some of the blame in his assessment of his team’s performance. “It was just a total lack of enthusiasm on the floor,” he said, “which is rare from us. I think we were feeling the pressure of playing a great program. We didn’t get fired up until the third set. Wilson’s great, though, and coach Pescar does a good job of getting them ready for every match. I didn’t get our girls ready for this one.”
Especially considering that they start so many sophomores, nobody in Jackrabbitland is likely to panic over this one. If Poly can put together a complete game playing at their best level, they’ll be scary; but if Wilson continues to play at the level they’ve been at all season, they’ll continue to look nearly unbeatable. They’re at a tournament in Torrey Pines over the weekend, but we’ll get another chance to see the state’s elite play next Tuesday, when they take on the Lancers. Be sure to check back then for a full writeup, as well as a highlight video.