Garces wins 2nd straight championship
| Friday, Nov 21 2008 02:04 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 02:07 PM
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Garces players celebrate with coach Kim Harper (standing right) after defeating Hanford the Central Section Division II volleyball championship Thursday at Garces.
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You might think, that with her cool, green tie dye "Lady Rams" T-shirt on, Garces High volleyball coach Kim Harper would be as mellow as a hippy from San Francisco.
Nope. Not a chance.
The Garces alum could barely sit still during Thursday night's Central Section Division II championship match, jumping out of her seat and celebrating with her girls seemingly after every point the Rams scored.
"I get told many times I need to sit down," Harper said. "But I can't help myself."
Harper couldn't help herself the entire match, all the way until top-seeded Garces scored its final point and swept No. 2 Hanford 27-25, 25-22, 25-20, at home to capture the Division II title a year after winning Division IV.
The Rams (28-5) will move on to the Southern California Regionals and play a first-round home game on Tuesday against an opponent to be determined.
For Harper, guiding her alma mater to a section title in her first year at the helm is an "amazing feeling."
"I've always wanted to come back and coach here," said Harper, a 2000 graduate. "I bleed green. I love this program. I love this school. These girls have the same passion for Garces that I have, and that's why it's such a special victory."
For the returning players from last year's section championship team, moving up and winning Division II meant even more than before.
"This is so much more amazing," said senior middle blocker Shelby Staab, who had 11 kills and seven blocks. "It's Division II, and you get so much more attention being in Division II. It's just great knowing we can play at this caliber."
There was doubt, though, early in the match when Garces blew an opportunity up 24-21 to close out the first game and surrendered four straight points to Hanford (21-10). Facing game point, Staab came through with a kill, followed by back-to-back kills from sophomore outside hitter Caitlin Bernardin to preserve the win.
Winning the opening game was crucial, and the Rams showed some grit in avoiding a complete collapse.
"We got caught on our heels a little bit," Harper said, "but I think great teams manage that well. We figured out a way to win. It wasn't pretty, but we figured it out."
Garces controlled Game 2 for the most part, but Game 3 was a different story. The Rams found themselves down 15-11 in the third game, until they put together a 10-1 run to lead 21-16.
During that stretch, sophomore outside hitter Melanie Reis came through big time with five points (three kills and two aces) for Garces, keeping up what she's been doing all postseason.
"Melanie Reis, not only tonight, she has been the hot hand for us through the playoffs," Harper said. "When her teammates need her for a big kill or serve and the pressures on her shoulders, she gets the job done."
Said Bernardin, who finished with a team-high 14 kills and 14 digs: "Everyone just dug deep and played with their hearts. We all wanted to put it on the line and win this championship."
