Casa Grande's girls volleyball team are making history

First Vine Valley win for the Petaluma high school|

Lina Fakalata slammed a winning kill into the open court toward the sideline to cap an exciting Casa Grande volleyball 3-2 victory over visiting Vintage of Napa as both teams began play in the newly formed Vine Valley Athletic League on Tuesday.

The un-returnable smash was only one of many by the versatile sophomore, who turned in an outstanding five-set effort in front of a raucous student crowd in the Gaucho gym.

The win was the second in succession for the Lady Gauchos, who also surprised a very good Santa Rosa team on the previous Thursday.

Vintage came into the contest with an impressive record of 4-1, and the Lady Crushers supported a very strong front line along the net, led by 6-foot senior leaper Kelsey Klungel. Klungel and Fakalata exchanged hard-hit spikes, but there were others on both teams who played big roles in the emotional battle.

Vintage coach Kelley Porter was carded midway through the match by the officials for questioning some close calls; she was forced to sit the final two sets.

Coach Amber Taylor of the Lady Gauchos was also summoned to the stand on two occasions in an effort to temper the enthusiasm of the noisy Gaucho supporters, who spilled out on the floor at times. In all it was exciting from the beginning with both teams extremely focused. At the conclusion, the victorious Gauchos were given an impromptu human tunnel send-off into the locker room area.

Casa won sets one and four by scores of 25-21 and 25-19. In between, the Crushers appeared ready to take control of the match with wins in sets two and three by 25-20 and 27-25 scores.

Plays at the net by Fakalata, Bella Blue and Sam Dedrickson kept the Gauchos in the hunt. Blue contributed solid blocking in the front row, while Dedrickson demonstrated a good change of pace with alternate hits and placements for points.

The most all-around play for Casa, however, came in the hustling form of Kaitlyn Wong, who did a little of everything, including digs, well-timed sets and some surprising kills when she became the open option.

The crowd was treated to a wild final abbreviated set with both teams alternating the lead.

Vintage jumped ahead 6-3 on a couple of shots by Klungel and Taylor Brandt. Their advantage didn’t last long. A solid kill by Wong and an off-balance quick put back by the hustling Blue knotted things up at 7-7.

Fakalata seemed to sense a win as she returned shots that bounced off Crusher attempted returns. Her final kill was clean, and it sent the cheering student section into bedlam as the Gauchos evened their season record at 2-2. It was history in the making for both schools as VVAL play brought out long and hard-fought rallies leading to a 15-12 Gaucho win.

Vintage easily won the junior varsity match 25-7 and 25-22.

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