Wildcats play Bells tough, but lose in the CCS semi's
By Dick Sparrer
It doesn't get much more exciting than this.
Los Gatos played Bellarmine tough in the Central Coast Section boys volleyball semi-finals, but the Wildcats lost a five-game heartbreaker to the Bells to miss at shot at the CCS finals.
But what a match it was.
The Cats matched the unbeaten Bells point-for-point in the first two games of the match, but tough 15-13, 15-13 losses left the Wildcats facing a possible early exit from the tournament.
Los Gatos, though, had other ideas.
It was Gatos winning the third game 15-13, then taking the fourth 15-10 to force a fifth and deciding game to decide the match. Bellarmine won the decider 15-9 to advance to the finals.
It was a tough finish to an outstanding season for a Los Gatos team that had lost in five games to the Bells in the CCS championship match a year earlier.
Starring for the Wildcats were junior setter Jason Cardoso, leading the team with his serves and assists, 6-foot-4 senior swingman Devan Denton (25 kills), 6-foot-4 senior middle blocker Stephen Pulley (21 kills), 6-foot-4 senior swingman Grant Schlink (19 kills) and 6-foot-4 junior opposite Nate Sweeters (18 kills).
The Wildcats were coming off an impressive 15-5, 17-15, 8-15, 15-11 win over Soquel in the quarterfinals.
Pulley led the squad with 17 kills and 15 blocks, and Denton had 16 kills and four blocks. Schlink had 13 kills and five blocks, and Sweeters added 10 kills and a block.
Cardoso starred with six kills, a block and five service aces. Pulley, Schlink and Sweeteres also had aces for the Wildcats.
Making up the Gatos squad this season were seniors Denton, Pulley, Schlink, Derrick Pang and Paul William Scoggins; juniors Cardoso, Sweeters, Justin Albano, Greg Blevins, Andrew Holcomb, Kevin Krug, Adam Stephenson and Mike Walleen; sophomores Brett Bertocci and Brian Starr; and freshmen Michael Conry, Trent Edwards and Ben Sandigo.
Los Gatos finished the year with a solid 24-6 record.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
