After honing their skills and sharpening their team play in a series of preseason scrimmages, the competitive nonleague action got under way Tuesday evening for the Sonoma Valley High School varsity volleyball girls, who cruised to a three-set sweep at Terra Linda.
Comprising Sonoma’s two-time SCL-champion varsity team – directed by head coach Mindy Neves and assistant coaches Michele Foster and Heidi Boatright, who is a former University of Hawaii standout and professional player – are returning all-leaguers senior Gianna Monterosso and juniors Delaney Swanson, Ciara Smith, Anastasia Claros and Mackenzie Albrecht – last year’s SCL most valuable player; seniors Janeth Silva, Kaitlyn Boldt and Kayten Mak; juniors Hannah Herrick and Cheyenne McCambridge; sophomores Carlie Vollert and Sami Von Gober; and freshmen Jenna Mak and Kiara Miles.
Leading the visiting Lady Dragons to their smashing 25-10, 25-13, 25-22 victory over Terra Linda were Albrecht’s 23 assists, three kills, three digs and two solo blocks; Swanson’s 17 kills and two serving aces; Miles’ 10 kills, seven digs and one solo block; Monterossa’s eight assists; Claros’ six digs; Herrick’s five kills, five digs and one solo block; Smith’s three kills; and Boldt’s two aces.
The Sonoma spikers, who played at Montgomery yesterday in Santa Rosa – results not available at presstime – will hold their first home match this Thursday, Sept. 12, against Justin-Siena in Pfeiffer Gym, where they’ll begin defense of their SCL title Thursday, Sept. 19, when they host longtime rival El Molino.
Then Sonoma’s volleyball program will hold its annual varsity Greg Paganini Invitational Tournament, which benefits the Greg Paganini Scholarship Fund and features a highly competitive 16-team field, on Saturday, Sept. 21, in Pfeiffer Gym. The Lady Dragons’ inaugural 16-team Paganini junior varsity tournament is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28.
•••
Sonoma’s cross-country program continued its tradition of opening the new season with the annual alumni meet, which kicked off the 2013 schedule Wednesday at the Maxwell Farms Regional Park course, where Dragon head coach John Litzenberg captured his 16th alum win by narrowly edging senior standout Owen Ljung.
Litzenberg – a Sonoma graduate and former prep and collegiate (Colombia University) star runner – cruised the 2.7-mile Maxwell Park course in 14 minutes, 58 seconds, with Ljung just five seconds back at 15:03.
Following Litzenberg and Ljung through the finish line were senior Christian Martinez’s 16:28; junior Return Bongiovanni’s 17:17; freshman Leonardo Macedonio’s 17:18; top girl finisher sophomore Madeline Libbey’s 19:33; junior Ian Sloop’s 19:48; sophomore Trevor Martinelli’s 20:02; open-runner Steve Phillips’ 20:33; sophomore Pablo Vazquez’s 21:19; frosh Austin Phillips’ 22:01.24; senior Itzel Macedonio’s 22:01.49; senior Baily Zeller’s 23:17; frosh Maddie Cashel’s 23:40.49; senior Jocelyn Mondragon’s 23:40.99; frosh Maggie Luque’s 27:34; frosh Sofia Serbicki’s 32:29; and frosh Emma Rochlin’s 32:30.
The Dragon runners will next compete in the annual eight-schools interlock meets at Spring Lake in Santa Rosa this Wednesday, Sept. 11.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: