The Analy varsity volleyball team accomplished one of the rarer
feats in sports last year when it completed a five-peat in winning
the Sonoma County League championship.
In eight seasons under returning head coach Nancy Williams, the
Tigers have made the North Coast Section playoffs each year,
winning one NCS title in 2006. In five of those years, the team has
advanced to the CIF State Championships.
The team has not lost an SCL regular season match in four
years.
Individually, Analy has claimed the MVP in each of the past five
seasons and has placed all of its starters on all-league teams
during that span.
In the midst of all these accolades and achievements, a program
could be excused for becoming a bit complacent.
Not a problem for Williams, who has never wavered in her resolve
to push her team to greater heights, and whose expectations for the
squad are about as high as a well-placed set.
“Our goals are to be successful during our regular season- to
put us in the best position to make a good run in the post-season,”
she said matter-of-factly. “We’re hoping to compete with the East
Bay schools for a decent seed in the NCS.”
The 2009 Tigers graduated six players last year including five
all-leaguers, but the team remains a heavy favorite to hang another
championship banner when the leaves turn in November.
Analy will carry the torch of success against improving programs
Petaluma, Windsor, and Sonoma- teams that are closing the skill gap
but are still clearly a cut below. El Molino, Healdsburg, and Casa
Grande also figure to field competitive teams this fall.
Leading the Tiger charge are league MVP senior setter Sam
Siebert and first team all-league senior middle blocker Margaret
Barnes.
They’ll be joined by a solid core of returnees that include
junior outside hitter Claire Sullivan, junior setter Marla
Petrucci, and senior outside hitter Kallee Cool, all stepping up to
starring roles after seeing limited action last year. Other key
returnees are: senior outside hitter Grace Emery, senior DS/libero
Susannah Kay, senior RS/setter Claire McDonell, junior outside
hitter Brianna Adviento, and
junior middle blocker Courtney Covey.
Talented newcomers to the varsity squad are: Kelsey Allen,
Sierra Fiesel, Shannon Regan, Hana Lamb, and Megan Winters.
The Tigers will participate in several challenging pre-season
tournaments, not the least of which is the annual litmus test also
known as the Archbishop Mitty tourney on Sept. 19.
Analy will take the court today (Thursday, Aug. 27, 4 p.m.) in
the annual Tiger Team Cup Scrimmage. The Tigers will kick off the
pre-season in earnest on Sept. 8 at Maria Carrillo and play their
first home match on Friday, Sept. 11 against visiting Ukiah. The
ladies will begin their quest for an SCL six-peat at home against
Healdsburg on Sept. 17. Game times beginning with the frosh are
4/5/6:30 p.m.
Next week: an inside look at the El Molino volleyball team.
