CAMPOLINDO

    As is his wont, Campolindo head coach David Chen wanted to challenge his team from the start and they have gone to tournaments in Stockton, Folsom, Bishop O’Dowd, Albany, and Redondo, amassing a 22-7 record.

    “We wanted to see how we compared with the other top teams,” Chen said. “We're learning to compete consistently and limiting consecutive negative plays. We have 16 different needs and they’re all fighting for playing time and as they believe in themselves, they also have to believe that their teammates can do it too. As a team sport, you have to build the ability to trust someone else and be able to pass the baton.”

    This is a well-balanced roster with nine seniors and juniors and seven freshmen and sophomores. “We have a lot of depth on our team and we have a lot of confidence in being able to use everyone because they’re so talented,” coach John Vuong said. “Practice is a joy to watch because everyone’s competing.”

    There is a lot of size and versatility on this team. Hanna Raczynska is first on the team in kills and digs, Dior Duru is second in kills and digs, Aven Brusco third in kills and blocks, Talia Rosenblat is fourth in kills, Olivia Britton is fifth in kills and first in blocks, Mariam Pachulia sixth in scoring and second in blocks and Sophia Wilson, seventh in scoring, fourth in blocks, fifth in assists and sixth in digs. 

    There was similar performance with the libero’s Grace Thiel third in assists and digs, Katherine Deng fourth in assists and fifth in digs and the setters Amelia Knutson first in assists (323) and fourth in digs and Angeline Mu second in assists. “Amelia had an injury early in the season and Angeline stepped in and did a great job and the older kids took her in and embraced her,” coach John Vuong said. “Grace and Katherine have been splitting time at libero and are playing really well.”

    Raczynski is getting a number of her kills from the back row. “It’s really important to have that outlook,” Chen said. “Mariam really started to connect proving it to herself and to the team which is really big. Talia has been a very efficient high caliber player with a high hitting percentage. Dior is a quiet threat that is cool under pressure but very competitive and Lexi has shown a lot of range. Olivia has been an anchor on defense, getting a lot of solo blocks and big blocks at important times.”

    As they find playing time, players like Brusco,  Wilson, Maddy Carpenter, and Cielle Stone have been taking advantage of their opportunities. “Aven had a breakout performance at the O’Dowd Tournament; Sophia has really thrived as a left hander on the right side as well as Maddy and Cielle.” Chen said. “This season we are really pushing the narrative that with the depth that we have, we really need to give each other the opportunity how they can help contribute to the team regardless of the situation.”

    Having so much depth has required Chen to really strategize. “It’s a process of getting the team to understand the approach to buy in. It has not been an easy process but we’re hoping it will help to build experience for those that don’t have a chance to start much. They have the hardest job, perhaps coming off the bench with their team needing them to contribute and be productive when things are on the line. It’s all the little things and us finding a way to be a team and not just individuals.”

MIRAMONTE

    After a 1-3 start last season, Miramonte went on a 12-game winning streak. This year, after a 1-5 start, the Matadors have won their last 14 games and are 9-0 in league play. “This year is a result of having a fairly young team,” head coach Leslie Ray said. “Last year, we had more seniors in positions that could cause a little confusion but we are starting to mesh and are gelling.”

    Miramonte had five freshmen on the roster that saw a lot of playing time. “Last year, our players got a lot of experience and are working very hard this season,” Ray said. “Our philosophy this season is to train harder than we play and we have amped up our practices, having our players put in situations where they face adversity and it has shown in our matches with the team coming together very nicely.”

    Ray intentionally signed up for tougher tournaments and tough competitions.  “We needed to see teams that could battle us out and it showed us that we can come back collectively and become better.”

    For Ray, it starts with the back row. “We are a defensive team first and that means the back row is everything. Our libero, Sena Hens, has shown that she can handle it. I will also swing her to get our younger players out there to get their experience and be prepared for when their time comes.”

    The key players on the offense are the team’s setters, sophomore Lucy Targonski and senior co-captain, setter Maddie Yun. “We will play a modified 6-2 offense where Lucy will hit from the front row and then become a setter in the back row,” Ray said. “She and Maddie are doing a phenomenal job, holding on with Maddie’s leadership as our senior captain, it makes everything flow a lot easier and she has had a huge impact guiding Lucy into that role as well.”

    Freshman outside hitter Stella Krimmel has been a most pleasant surprise for Ray. “Stella was a real eye opener at tryouts and has been getting her moments in the matches. She has been a designated server and has been racking up points on the board for us so she definitely plays.”

    The defensive specialists are Gianna Caspari, Chelsea Dao and Ella Cleghorn who will also be used as a hitters and defensive players. “They have all played well and Chelsea has really stepped up her game this season.”

    Playing in a tough league, Ray sees the need for the team to play their best game to be effective. “It’s just a matter of being a team, collectively coming together and playing as one. As long as they have each other’s backs, the sky’s the limit for this team. They have the personality, the heart and the will to work hard. As they keep coming to practice, putting out 110%, there’s no doubt in my mind we’ll make a run in the NCS. It’s remarkable to see our team grow as the season has progressed.”

ACALANES 

    “We really challenged ourselves this year with our non-league schedule in playing a lot of open level and Division 1 teams right off the bat to really test ourselves as a team and I think it is going to show in the second half of play,” head coach Haley Walsh said. “So far, it has worked in terms of us learning dynamics and chemistry and gameplay so we're really excited in starting league play and finding our groove.” 

    And they found that groove defeating a 10-4 College Park team with a 3-1 victory and currently sporting a 4-2 record in league play.
    “The players have faced a lot of adversity with the schedule and really accepted the challenges of playing against high level teams. We looked at each game as an opportunity to get better and challenge ourselves. We have been playing a lot of fun volleyball and the girls are having a blast so it’s fun to see that in practice and have it translated into the games.”

    The leaders in the front line for Acalanes have been their middies, seniors Sydney Scovic and Devyn Murphy and outside hitter, co-captain Ella Chong. “Sydney and Devyn have had pretty high hitting percentages and have gotten a lot of reps in games, and Ella, one of our captains, has been leading as well on the outside.”

    Senior co-captain Amelia Easley has been doing very well as the team’s setter and is backed up by the team’s lone sophomore Kaia Copen. “Amelia has been running the majority of the 5-1 offense. Kaia has been playing well but it has been a bit of a tough transition going on to varsity. She has been really working to learn what it’s like to play at the varsity level with the different dynamics that are involved.”

    Chong and has also been one of the team’s defensive specialists along with senior Lourdes Smith who has been getting a lot of playing time in the middle back and has been helping to solidify the service team. Francesca Barbano has been the main libero and is backed up by senior co-captain Sahar Noroozi.

    With a strong start in league play, confidence has been building in the team. “This team is really settling in with an attitude of ‘All right, we've got challenges but we’re going to take what we've learned from those early games and we're going to apply it moving forward in terms of being more confident attackers, really homing in on our serving capabilities,’” Coach Walsh said. “We’re a very strong serving team, so we really try to make sure that we capitalize on that anytime we get the ball to be ultimately successful.”