With the football Greyhounds taking a break this past weekend (their Sept. 12 game against Santa Rosa forfeited due to injuries and suspensions), sports fans turned up at Frost Gym on Thursday to see the girls volleyball teams take on Montgomery High in not one but three games: freshman, JV and varsity teams all competed for a full evening of action in the close quarters of the former East Gym on the high school campus.
Coached by Jonathan Nuttall, the varsity team play with the sort of positive energy and camaraderie that characterizes the best of the sport. Games take place in the close quarters of the smaller gym, where shouts of encouragement to teammates become as much a part of the game as the set-ups and spikes. After each point the girls gather and high five, reinforcing the teamwork that makes points, and wins, possible.
Throughout the game, Coach Nuttall watched with a smile, encouraging the positive team energy that is the best part of the sport. “I stand by what I said at the beginning of the year about this team having the right attitude,” Nuttall told the Tribune. “The varsity returners are determined to be more successful this season than last, so I’m going to do what I can to give them that chance.
“But I’m also going to start being more flexible with the lineup,” he added, and at the Sept.11 game against Montgomery substitutions were made, giving every player on the bench a chance to play. “The sophomores have been impressing me with their drive and ability to step up when asked, so I’ll be looking for more opportunities to get them on the court as we move forward.”
Starting on the court were seniors Siena Sbragi, Amelia Low, Tatum Kiff and Liliana Nieto, with sophomores Jane Perrill as libero and Emma Azevedo as a defensive specialist. But as Nuttall promised, the lineup rotated throughout the three sets.
Although the Lady Hounds staged an impressive come-from-behind in the first set to tie the match at 18-18, and again kept pace until the score was 22-22, they ultimately lost the first set and the next two to the Montgomery Vikings. It marked their sixth loss in a row, since they won a pair against St. Helena (Aug. 28) and Willits (Sept. 4).
Their season record now stands at 4-10, though as Nuttall pointed out, “We’ve been riddled with illness and injuries, so we’ve rarely had the chance to play at full strength.” With a full roster, he claims a 3-2 record, “if that tells you anything! Hopefully we’re past that now and can start getting into a better rhythm, especially with league play starting up next week against Rancho.”
Following this Thursday’s meeting with Maria Carrillo (Sept. 18), NCL-Redwood play begins in earnest on Sept. 23 with a home match against Rancho Cotate. Other league competitors follow in quick succession—Elsie Allen, St. Vincent de Paul, Piner and Analy—interrupted by the Oct. 4 Nor-Cal Tourney to be held at Rancho Cotate.
Rancho’s TAG (Theater-Academics-Gymnasium) Building is a huge venue for high school sports, with room for 2,500 in the bleachers. The excitement of both teams and fans in such a big hall is diluted, so volleyball fans should welcome the opportunity to see this year’s team play in the much cozier Frost Gym whenever possible.
Game time is set for 6:30pm, though as both frosh and JV teams also play matches starting at 5pm, the varsity teams often don’t get started until 7pm. But don’t be late. As Nuttall said, “This year’s freshmen class has a lot of strong volleyball players, so I think Hounds volleyball is going to just look better and better over the next few years.”
