Defending CIF Division I-A girls volleyball champion Santa Barbara High opened the 2009 playoffs Tuesday with a victory over the Regal Gryphons of Notre Dame Academy 22-25, 25-16, 25-11, 25-18.
Emily Rottman led the Dons with 15 kills, two blocks, and five aces after a rough start in the first set. Eve Ettinger contributed in games two, three, and four with 12 kills and 3 blocks.
The Dons started the match trading side-outs with Notre Dame for most of the first set. At 18-19, a long rally was kept alive with a diving save from Rottman, but the Gryphons transitioned and extended their lead to two. Notre Dame then hit their stride, scoring four of the closing six points.
A different team came to play in set two for the Dons. Eve Ettinger and Katherine Keller came into the lineup and made their own impact. Six of Ettinger’s 12 kills came in the set, and Keller served consecutive aces at 21-14 to lock the second game for the Dons. Dani Rottman put on the exclamation point with a stuff block, sending the match into the third set.
From that point on Santa Barbara continued to steamroll.
The third set was kicked off with a 6-0 run by the Dons forcing the Gryphons to call timeout. A barrage of points followed, as Santa Barbara didn’t let its opponents get within six points.
Set four got off to a rockier start than the others. Hitting errors came in bunches early from both teams until 10-8, when Emily Rottman began the sprint to the finish line with two consecutive kills down the line sparking a 10- 2 run for the Dons and leaving Notre Dame in the dust.
The match ended with a long rally, closing out with a cross-court hammer by Ettinger.
When asked how she turned her game around in set two, Emily Rottman described it as a lack of focus. “I decided I needed to focus more and said, ‘We are not losing this game’. I just got it back together and went back out there in game two”.
This year’s CIF playoffs are special for Rottman, as she gets to play on the same team as her sister, Dani, who has blossomed into one of the Channel League’s elite. When asked what it’s like playing with her younger sister, she sees it as a “great experience that will never happen again”.
Coach John Gannon praised his squad’s defense.
“We played really great defense, diving and scrapping for every ball”.
He also complimented Notre Dame on its defense and their heart on the court.
“Notre Dame played with a lot of heart, especially #15 (Briana Hollis). She made a statement in game one and put her team on her back.”
