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Lady Dragons win SCL tourney

Albrecht SCL MVP, 6 all-league; Sonoma hosts Novato in NCS tourney Saturday

 

Putting an exclamation point on their successful 2012 Sonoma County League campaign, the Sonoma Valley High School varsity volleyball girls followed up capturing their second straight regular-season title by claiming their second consecutive postseason SCL Tournament crown Thurday night in Pfeiffer Gym.

The top-seed Lady Dragons backed up their three-set sweep of fourth-seed Healdsburg on Tuesday by rebounding from a 19-25 first-set loss to third-seed Analy to post emphatic 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 wins in the next three sets to seal the SCL Tourney championship.

Before the title match, the SCL’s top award winners were announced and Sonoma’s star sophomore, Mackenzie Albrecht, was named the most valuable player, and she teamed with SCL first-team all-leaguers senior Allyson Beckwith and sophomore Delaney Swanson in leading the Lady Dragons to the pair of league titles.

Earning SCL all-league second-team honors for Sonoma were senior Alexis Long-Am, junior Gianna Monterosso and sophomore Anastasia Claros, while sophomore Ciara Smith received honorable mention.

Leading the Sonoma spikers over Analy were Albrecht’s all-around MVP performance of digging, serving, setting and registering 10 kills and two solo blocks; Swanson’s match-high 20 kills and a solo block; setter Monterosso’s setting and serving; Beckwith’s six kills, two blocks and one serving ace; sophomore Hannah Herrick’s three kills; and junior Janeth Silva’s one solo block.

Rounding out Sonoma’s SCL season and tourney champions’ roster – directed by head coach Mindy Neves and assistant coaches Brittany Anderson and Michele Foster, and team manager Lily Shipiro – are juniors Kaitlyn Boldt and Kayten Mak.

At the North Coast Section seeding meeting on Sunday, the Lady Dragons (27-7 record) were named the fourth-seed for the NCS Division-3 playoffs and, after receiving a first-round bye, will host fifth-seed Novato (24-10) in a quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. this Saturday in Pfeiffer Gym.

Rounding out the NCS Division-3 bracket and matchups for Saturday’s quarterfinals, top-seed Campolindo (24-4) faces the winner of eighth-seed Sir Francis Drake (17-15) versus ninth-seed Acalanes (12-10); second-seed Bishop O’Dowd plays the winner of seventh-seed Analy (17-10) versus 10th-seed Del Norte (9-9); and third-seed Albany (33-5) faces sixth-seed Petaluma (18-12).

The sectional semifinals will be held Wednesday evening, Nov. 14, and the title match takes place Saturday night, Nov. 17.