It’s no fun being on a losing team, and it might be less fun coaching one. But Jonathan Nuttall, who just completed his second year in the role with the Healdsburg High girls volleyball team, has a welcome perspective to share.
“We didn’t get the wins we wanted there at the end, but we kept things competitive at least,” he said of the team’s 2-8 league record. It led to a fifth-place finish in the six-team North Bay Redwood league, but the coach took comfort in one fact: Last year’s overall record was 7-20 while this year it was 8-21. “One of my goals going in was to win more matches this season than last, which we did manage to do,” he added.
There were a few matches where the team showed a winning spark, such as two 3-0 sweeps of Elsie Allen on Sept. 25 and Oct. 14. They also took a 2-0 win from St. Vincent de Paul in tournament play on Oct. 4.
But according to a lengthy email Nuttall sent The Healdsburg Tribune after the season ended, there is one loss that sticks in his memory: the Senior Night match against Analy, second place finisher in the league. “The Analy game was very emotional, and the girls genuinely played some amazing volleyball,” he said. “After two tough sets they fought tooth and nail to win the third and keep the season going a little longer.”
He shoulders much of the blame himself, submitting the wrong lineup to start the final set. “I effectively tossed our established playbook out the window and forced the girls to adjust, as I had to make up new plays on the fly,” he said. “To their credit, the girls didn’t freak out despite my blunder, and did their absolute best to work with me to salvage the set.”
He called it “a humbling moment for me as a coach, and a lesson I will do my best to learn from.”
Season preview
For Nuttall, as for any good coach, it’s never about one game. So he turns his attention to the future. “I think it’s important to give a preview of next season,” he said, pointing out that eight varsity athletes will be back next season, three of them juniors and five just sophomores. “Of them all, I think eyes are on junior libero Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Aleman and junior opposite hitter Hannah Levine-Smith the most.”
Levine-Smith’s 84 kills were the third most on the team this season, and as an experienced senior next year she is expected to be one of the main offensive weapons in 2026.
Elizabeth Aleman is a story all her own. “Liz had a standout season this year as our libero,” Nuttal said. “Liz didn’t just lead our team in digs with a crazy 445 season total, she led the league and the entirety of the North Coast Section, according to MaxPreps. That is 161 other teams that she out-dug.
“This is on top of leading our team with 49 aces as well! I couldn’t be more proud of her, and I’m excited to see what she does in her senior season,” he added.
Aleman was named Healdsburg’s player of the year by MaxPreps, and received first team All League honors from the North Bay League coaches. Senior server Siena Sbragia was named to the second team.
“Oh, and unless something changes outside my control, I plan on being back again next season,” Nuttall’s email concluded. “Go Hounds!”
