SHC top contender in girls volleyball
Nobody is playing for second anymore.
That’s what makes this one of the most exciting girls volleyball seasons in recent Bay Area history.
Mitty has long been the unquestioned queen of the court — last season, it won its second straight state Open Division title and 14th state crown overall.
Only two other teams have as many as nine state titles — and one of them is St. Francis.
Mitty lost its top setter and top three hitters from last season, so the Monarchs are predictably down this season. No one, however, expects coach Bret Almazan-Cezar’s team to be down too long with 5-foot-11 junior Julia Cabri (86 kills) and 6-3 freshman Amy Veargason (107 kills) around.
“They’ll be rolling by the end of the season,” Sacred Heart Cathedral coach Margi Beima said.
For now, the Monarchs can be had, as the Irish (20-5) proved Sept. 11 with a 25-13, 25-15, 25-17 home sweep of Mitty.
It’s the first time the Irish, a five-time Northern California champion and state champ in 2014, have swept Mitty.
“We’ve lost a whole bunch of times by that score,” Beima said. “And we’ve beat them a couple of times. But never like that. I have to admit it was a little fun.”
It’s been fun all season for Beima. Typically known for its defense and passing, SHC this season has some offensive threats in 6-2 Skylar Canady and 6-foot Megan Lenn, both juniors.
Another junior, Alden Standley, is the team’s top setter, but the best all-around player is 5-8 senior Lauren Sera. “She’s just very special,” Beima said. “Her volleyball IQ is just off the charts. She can do it all.”
The Irish are the highestrated team in the Metro Area, according to the MaxPreps computer rankings. They’re followed by Foothill-Pleasanton (15-2), St. Francis (16-5), Marin Catholic-Kentfield (19-2), California-San Ramon (19-3), Palo Alto (12-3), Mitty, Amador Valley-Pleasanton (15-2), Notre Dame-Belmont (12-5) and No. 10 Menlo-Atherton (10-3).
St. Francis beat SHC in the final of the Milpitas Spikefest, but the Irish returned the favor by winning a WCAL match in Mountain View on Thursday in five games.
St. Francis is led by 5-11 outside hitter Kelly Levaggi, the Central Coast Section leader in kills with 222.
Though not in the top-10 area rankings, St. Ignatius (16-8) is a major threat with players like Duke-bound 6-2 hitter Elizabeth Fleming and 5-10 Megan Lucey.
St. Ignatius hosts St. Francis on Tuesday, and Sacred Heart Cathedral hosts Valley Christian.
“We still have a long way, but it’s great to see how far we’ve come thus far,” Beima said. “Out of all the years, this is the craziest WCAL year ever. Everybody is good, and anyone can beat anyone.”
Beima said Marin Catholic, with hitters Kari Geissberger (6-6) and Olivia Cooper, and setter Leah Pease, might be the team to beat in Northern California.
James Logan-Union City (12-7) also should be a state contender at the large-school level. Big meet: The Stanford Invitational, one of the largest regular-season cross-country meets on the West Coast, takes place Saturday on the Farm.
Ten divisions, highlighted by the seeded races at noon (boys) and 12:30 p.m. (girls), will take place between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.