PLEASANTON, Calif. — Outside hitters Mila Stojakovic and Sofia Alkire each hit 19 kills while senior libero Justine Pulmones collected a match-high 25 digs, but 10th-seeded St. Francis came out on the losing end of a 27-25, 25-23, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10 battle with seventh-seeded Amador Valley in the first round of the CIF NorCal Region Div. I girls volleyball championship tournament Tuesday night.
The Troubadours end their season with a 24-10 overall record.
St. Francis faced down a 2-0 match deficit after a pair of closely contested frames, and surrendered an 11-1 run that put AVHS up by a 16-12 lead in the third. However, the Troubies rallied back, with Pulmones serving the team back to a 21-20 edge.
Stojakovic fired a cross-court kill and Zoe Hopkins teamed with setter Carli Padilla on a block to establish a 24-22 set point. The Dons fought back to a 24-24 tie, thanks to a tool and a right-side stuff, but then sent a pair of attacks long to give SFHS the set win.
The Troubies rolled out to a 5-2 start in the fourth before the Dons could storm back to a 10-10 knot. Senior defensive specialist Lizzy Gilhooly served up an ace to put SF back up by a 12-10 edge, and a lead it would not relinquish. Stojakovic crushed a four for the 23rd point, Padilla's tip found some empty court for the 24th, then Alkire knocked down the set-winner to win it, 25-19, forcing the rubber set.
Amador Valley pulled away early in the fifth, scoring four unanswered on a service ace and a fortuitous bounce off its gym's low ceiling. Stojakovic and Alkire combined for three more kills, but the Troubies never erased that margin. AVHS junior Madison May scored a kill from the right pin to close out the final set, 15-10.
Tuesday's match also marked the career finale for four outstanding Troubies seniors: Pulmones, Padilla, Gilhooly and Hopkins.
