After cruising unbeaten through the first half of their 12-match Sonoma County League schedule, the three-time defending champion Sonoma Valley High School varsity volleyball girls found themselves in an unfamiliar position last Thursday night at longtime SCL rival Petaluma – they were down two sets to none.
On the heels of dropping the first set 24-26, the first-place Lady Dragons were dealt a 23-25 setback that put them in danger of not only suffering their first SCL loss after six straight wins, but enabling second-place Petaluma the opportunity to pull off a stunning triumph and tie them atop the league standings.
But the Sonoma spikers rallied behind their two senior first-team all-league standouts Delaney Swanson and Mackenzie Albrecht, last season’s SCL player of the year, and swept the Trojan girls over the final three sets by scores of 25-10, 25-11, 15-11 to capture a five-set, 3-2 match victory.
Leading the Lady Dragons were Albrecht's 60 assists, nine kills and two serving aces; Swanson's 25 kills, 20 digs and one block; sophomore Kiara Miles' 24 digs, nine kills and two aces; senior Hannah Herrick's 18 digs and 10 kills; sophomore Jenna Mak's 13 digs, six aces and three kills; junior Sami Von Gober's nine digs; and senior Ciara Smith's eight kills and one block.
Competing in the Carmichael Invitational on Saturday in the Sacramento suburb, the Sonoma girls cruised through tournament pool play and into the championship bracket, where they defeated Del Oro 25-10, 25-20 in the quarterfinals, and beat Marin Catholic 25-21. 25-17 in the semifinals to reach the championship final.
Unfortunately, in the title match, the Lady Dragons battled El Camino, which is ranked third in the state and 15th in the country, and ended up losing two of three sets by scores of 11-25, 25-23 and 1-15.
In pool play, the Sonoma spikers routed Will C. Wood 25-11, 25-13; upended Yuba City 25-19, 26-24; and downed Truckee 25-16, 25-18.
Pacing the Lady Dragons in the Carmichael Invitational championship bracket matches were Albrecht's 79 assists 37 digs and one ace; Mak's 30 digs, 16 kills and three aces; Swanson 28 kills, 29 digs and three aces; Herrick's 27 digs and six kills; Miles' 15 kills, 14 digs and three aces; Von Gober's nine digs and three aces; Smith's eight kills and four digs; and junior Carlie Vollert's three kills.
Rounding out Sonoma's roster – directed by head coach Chelsea Scott and assistant coaches Mindy Wiley and Haley Ross – are senior Cheyene McCambridge, junior Courtney Cogbill, sophomore Sydney Eckert, and freshman Layla Schoeningh.
The Lady Dragons, with a 17-3 overall record and SCL first-place 7-0 mark, have a bye tonight before hosting longtime SCL foe El Molino at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in Pfeiffer Gym.
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