Volleyball season heads into final month

Spikes, dinks, digs and sets: Volleyball is a game of small plays with big impact, a team sport that separates the players from the winners.

And let’s not forget kills. Napa’s Alessia Palmieri got 10 of them, more than anyone else on the court – but it was far from enough to leverage the Grizzlies over the Dragons as Sonoma Valley took three straight sets on Thursday, Sept. 23, at Pfeiffer Gym.

The Grizzlies only mustered 14 kills overall, compared to Sonoma Valley’s 34, led by nine each from junior Lola Martin and senior Campbell Rolston, followed by five from senior Chelsea Young Magana, the coach’s choice for player of the match. She also had eight serving aces and a pair of digs on the night.

Sonoma Valley is currently third in the Vine Valley Athletic League, behind Vintage and Justin-Siena – both teams defeated the Dragons earlier this season, and both are 5-0 in the league. They face off twice in the coming month, on Oct. 6 and Oct. 19.

The Dragons (4-2 in league play) got back into competition after a week off on Thursday night this week, traveling to Petaluma to meet the Trojans (1-5); results too late for press time. It’s the first of six matches against league opponents – their next home match is Oct. 7 against American Canyon.