Queens of the Island is a coveted title earned through a yearly tournament between Alameda’s three high school girls volleyball team rivals. The Alameda Hornets [1], Saint Joseph Notre Dame Pilots [2], and Encinal Jets [3] compete against one another for victory on the volleyball court. The first of this year’s tournament games was held at the Alameda High School gymnasium on Friday, September 26.
[4]In that first match, Alameda High School (10-7) hosted Saint Joseph Notre Dame (12-4) in a thrilling five-set affair, with packed bleachers on both sides. The Hornets defended home court and came out on top in a 3-2 set victory with scores of 25-22, 18-25, 25-19, 15-25, and 17-15.
“It’s always been a great rivalry… we highly respect our opponents,” said Alameda High School Head Coach Peter Ohno. “I love everything about it.”
In the first set, Alameda High took an early lead against the Pilots. The Hornet lead included an impressive six-point run with ferocious spikes from Sam Obot to add momentum. Alameda High maintained its lead all throughout the first period, leading by as much as eight points. The Pilots hinted at a possible comeback late in the period, but the Hornets pulled through for a 25-22 set win.
The second set started as a back-and-forth affair. Neither Alameda nor Saint Joe’s were able to break away from one another. However, the Pilots would start to separate themselves from the Hornets after gaining an 11-7 lead from a spike by Amelia Mnich. The Pilots pushed their lead to seven points and won the second set 25-18 with a spike from Leila Aviado.
Like the second set, the third started as a competitive contest with neither team gaining any leverage. Saint Joe’s started to break away after a small three-point run and maintained its lead until late into the set. However, the Hornets stayed within comeback range and ultimately took the lead after a huge block from Bronwyn Brantley. Brantley’s block put the Hornets up 20-19 late in the third set. Alameda High continued its run and won the set 25-19 with back-to-back service aces from Sofia Cannella.
[5]In the fourth set, Saint Joe’s started with an impressive 7-1 lead, fueled partially by numerous Hornet errors. The Pilots held their lead through the fourth set as AHS only brought the score within three at 17-14. After that, the Pilots outscored the Hornets 8-1, with half of the points earned by Anabelle Holmes. Holmes closed the fourth set at 25-15 with back-to-back service aces.
With the match tied 2-2, an extra set was needed to determine the winner. The fifth set was the most competitive of the game. The teams were neck-and-neck—when one incrementally churned out a lead, the other snuffed it out. When they were tied at 15-15, the gymnasium’s intensity was at its highest and the crowds at their loudest with a cheer-off between the opposing crowds. A huge rally ensued with everyone on the edge of their seats. Saint Joe’s looked to score, but hit the volleyball out and went down 16-15. Alameda High served for match point and entered a brief rally. Then Bronwyn Brantley sent a devastating spike at the center of the Pilots court and captured the thrilling 17-15 set victory for Alameda High.
Ohno credited his team’s ability to adjust to their opponents “spunk, energy, and expectations for plays” as a factor in Friday’s win.
Clara Verdickt, a transfer student from Saint Joe’s to Alameda High this year, felt a sense of benevolence after facing her former team in the rivalry. “I really love my friends over there, but I’m really happy that we won and was honored that I got to play against them.”
The second match in the Queens of the Island rivalry will be on Friday, October 17, when the Pilots and Jets face off at Saint Joseph Notre Dame gymnasium. The third and final match will be on Friday, October 24, when the Hornets and the Jets compete at Alameda High School gymnasium.
Contributing writer Gabriel Caraballo covers local sports for the Alameda Post [6]. Contact him via [email protected] [7]. His writing is collected https://alamedapost.com/Gabriel-Caraballo [8].