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Playing with high energy and determined resolve, the Sonoma Valley High School varsity volleyball girls made it a rare, if ever (at least the past two decades), regular-season double-sweep of longtime Sonoma County League rival El Molino last Thursday night in Pfeiffer Gym.

With head coach Mindy Neves using mixed lineups that gave a glimpse of the future with her junior and sophomore players stepping up with solid contributions to complement the strength of her senior players, the Lady Dragons dominated visiting El Molino for an SCL match victory by scores of 25-18, 25-19 and 25-12. The Lady Dragon spikers will host another longtime SCL foe in five-time defending champion and current first-place-tied Analy - which beat Petaluma last Thursday for a share of the league's top-spot - in their home finale tonight in Pfeiffer Gym, with the freshman playing at 4, the junior varsity at 5, and the varsity 6:30 p.m.

Before tonight's varsity match, Sonoma will honor its five seniors, including Sophia Somers, Lauren Fisher, Emily Hawing, Kendall Smith and Sofia Ziemienski. Leading the Lady Dragons past El Molino were junior Krysta Young's nine kills; Smith's five kills and two blocks; Ziemienski's three kills and two blocks; sophomore setter Jersey Witous' three kills and one block; Fisher's and Somers' three kills each; sophomore Rebecca Stone's two serving aces; junior Molly Lyons' block; and junior Kaylee Vollert's and sophomore Suzanne Amaral's one ace apiece.

Sonoma ends its regular season at league foe Healdsburg this Thursday, Oct. 29, with the annual postseason SCL Tournament taking place next week.

It was a tough SCL road-trip last Thursday for the Sonoma tennis girls, who dropped a 6-1 decision to perennial league-power Petaluma. The Lady Dragons' lone winner in the match was senior Gianna Johns, who beat Heggli 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 at No. 2 singles.

Sustaining Sonoma's losses were senior Jessica Forchione's 0-6, 0-6

defeat to Kalter at No. 1 singles; senior Laura Harvey's 0-6, 0-6 loss to

O'Connell at No. 3 singles; senior Mackenzie Kelley's 0-6, 4-6 defeat to

Payne at No. 4 singles; seniors Alexandra Zaualeta's and Elisa Merino's

4-6, 2-6 loss to Singleton and Joaquim at No. 1 doubles; freshmen

Jessica Johnston's and Courtney Struthers' 2-6, 1-6 defeat to DellaValle

and Overton at No. 2 doubles; and sophomore Meagan Durfee's and

frosh Francesca Stornaiuoio's 2-6, 4-6 loss to Smith and Jacobs at No.

3 doubles.

The Lady Dragon netters end their regular season with a rained-out makeup match with El Molino in Forestville this Thursday, Oct. 29, with the SCL Singles and Doubles tournaments set for Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5 and 6, at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Five Sonoma cross country boys, one girl and both coaches ran in the Ukiah Invitational on Saturday.

The Dragon boys' team claimed fifth place in the boys' 3.1-mile race, with senior Nick Spector, slowed by a cold, individually finishing eighth in a time of 18 minutes, 16 seconds.

Rounding out the Sonoma boys' results were junior Danny Maggioncalda's 17th place in 19:14; sophomore Alex Conner's 27th in 20:10; sophomore Steven Wedell's 31st in 21:00; and junior Gus Bolen's 32nd in 21:27.

Sophomore Selena Caruso was the lone Lady Dragon to run and in the girls' race she earned a sparkling second-place finish in 22:49.

There was also a community race and Sonoma's co-head coaches Butch Alexander and John Litzenberg running, with Litzenberg winning both the race and his age-bracket in 17:24, and Alexander finishing ninth overall, while winning his age-bracket in 21:28.

The Dragon boys' and girls' teams will host Healdsburg in 4 p.m. SCL dual-meets tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Maxwell Farms Regional Park course.

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