West County teams resumed a busy schedule last week on the
league volleyball circuit, as the Tigers gained a split with
Petaluma and Sonoma, while the Lions fell to the Dragons.
Analy fell to the host Trojans in four; 11-21, 25-22, 22-25, and
25-18, but rebounded to beat Sonoma in three; 25-19, 25-21, and
25-21.
Meanwhile, a shorthanded Lions’ squad, missing players due to
illness and injury, fell to the Dragons in three; 18-25, 18-25 and
19-25.
Tiger league win streak snapped
It may have gone virtually unnoticed, but Analy’s four-game loss
to the host Petaluma Trojans took on historical significance. The
Tigers saw their league win streak snapped, an unbelievable stretch
of wins dating back to the 2006 season.
Although deflating to many fans and supporters, the loss may
actually work in Analy’s favor, lifting a four-year giant monkey
off of its back.
“It’s a tough spot to be in when you’re always the target,”
noted veteran coach Nancy Williams. “There is an expectation that
the girls placed upon themselves, which is self-induced pressure,
and it paralyzed our ability to play. People need to understand
that good teams get beat all the time.”
Although the Tigers were clearly not at their best against
Petaluma, the win stamped the Trojans as a serious contender for
the 2009 league title.
Despite the loss, Analy did get several notable efforts from its
players. Leading the net attack for the Tigers were Kallee Cool (9
kills), Marla Petrucci (8 kills), and Margaret Barnes (7
kills).
The Tigers were back in the win column on Thursday against
visiting Sonoma, getting standout performances from Claire Sullivan
(11 kills), Barnes (8 kills, .444 hitting proficiency), Cool (8
kills, .500 hitting proficiency), Petrucci (5 aces), Sam Siebert (4
aces), and Susannah Kay (2.1 passing efficiency, 13 digs).
Analy hit the road for the Castro Valley Tournament last
weekend, beating Acalanes (3 games) College Park (2 games), and
Foothill (2 games) in pool play. The Tigers advanced to the tourney
playoffs, defeating San Ramon Valley in three, and Castro Valley in
two before falling to Granada in three.
The strong showing earned the Tigers a second-place trophy.
“It was a good day overall, and we gained a lot of experience
with all of our players that day,” said Williams, noting that all
opponents except Acalanes were in either division one or two.
The Tigers (12-6, 4-1) resume league play next Tuesday, Oct. 13
at Healdsburg, while the Lions (11-6, 2-2) host Healdsburg on Oct.
8, and visit Windsor on Oct. 13. Match times starting with the
frosh are at 4/5/6:30 p.m.
