Lady Dragons mash Miramonte

After the third-seed Sonoma Valley High School varsity volleyball girls coasted to a three-set romp of 14th-seed Encinal in their North Coast Section Division-3 playoffs opener, they pounded sixth-seed Miramonte 25-9 in the first set of Saturday night’s NCS quarterfinal match in Pfeiffer Gym.

Just when the Sonoma County League champion Lady Dragons were going to sweep their quarterfinal and cruise into the NCS semifinals, underdog Miramonte, which plays in the East Bay’s highly competitive Diablo-Foothill Athletic League, battled them in a see-saw second set and pulled out a stunning 25-21 win.

But the Sonoma girls proved their mettle as one of the top North Bay teams and used their talent, size and skills to turn on the power game and overmatch the visiting Matadors behind the leadership of SCL co-most valuable players seniors Mackenzie Albrecht and Delaney Swanson.

With Albrecht, Swanson and all-league seniors Ciara Smith and Hannah Herrick, junior Sami Von Gober, and sophomores Jenna Mak and Kiara Miles stepping up, the Lady Dragons emphatically answered Miramonte’s uprising with 25-10, 25-17 third- and fourth-set wins, respectively, earning a return to the NCS semifinals.

Sonoma now gets the rematch its head coach, Chelsea Scott, said she hoped for after Saturday’s win – an NCS semifinal showdown with second-seed Bishop O’Dowd back in Oakland, where the two teams met in last year’s Division-3 semi, which was won by the East Bay power.

“Sure it would’ve been great to play at home again, in front of our supporters, but I admit that we wanted another match with Bishop O’Dowd and the chance to avenge last year’s loss,” said Scott.

The two teams with the same “Dragons” mascot will clash in their 7 p.m. semifinal tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Bishop O’Dowd’s gym in Oakland.

If the Sonoma Lady Dragons do pull off the upset of the favored state and nationally ranked squad, they will reach both Saturday’s NCS Division-3 title match and the NorCal championships, with a chance of reaching the prestigious state finals.

Whoever wins, their probable opponent Saturday evening, Oct. 22, will be top-seeded Camplindo, which is also highly ranked state and nationally.

Leading the Sonoma spikers (26-3 record) past Miramonte were Albrecht’s  48 assists, 12 digs, five kills and four blocks; Swanson’s 21 kills, 21 digs, two serving aces and one block; Mak’s 18 digs, eight kills and one ace; Miles’ 14 digs, three kills, two aces and a block; Smith’s 10 kills, three digs and one block; Herrick’s nine digs, six kills and one ace; and Gober’s five digs and two aces.

Rounding out Sonoma’s four-time SCL championship team – directed by Scott and assistant coaches Mindy Wiley and Haley Ross – are senior Cheyenne McCambridge; juniors Courtney Cogbill and Carlie Vollert; sophomore Sydney Eckhert; and freshman Layla Schoeningh.