Windsor opens tourney at #6 seeded American High School
The Jaguars were rewarded for a solid league volleyball season this week, landing the #11 seed in the 16-team North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs.
At press time Windsor (8-9) was preparing to open the NCS tourney at #6 seeded American High School in Fremont on Oct. 24, with the winner advancing to face the survivor of #3 Carondelet versus #14 Clayton Valley Charter on Saturday, Oct. 27 (location TBD). Both matches start at 7 p.m.
The road to the NCS playoffs was not an easy one for the Jags in the first season following North Bay League realignment, running the gauntlet against many of the North Bay’s top teams in the Oak Division.
Windsor wrapped up NBL regular season play with a pair of matches last week, starting with an Oct. 16 match against visiting Cardinal Newman. Despite losing starting right-side hitter Pauline Woodward and star outside hitter Elena Dyer to a pair of season-ending injuries, the Jaguars battled hard before falling to the Cardinals on Senior Night; 25-17, 25-22, 25-20.
“Our setters Katie Todd and Hannah Dyer stepped up to play front row when they were not setting,” Jags’ coach Rich Schwarz said. “Even though they both did remarkably well we still lost the match.”
Prior to the match, Windsor honored graduating veterans Brittany Johnson, Destiny Clark, Elena Dyer, Nikki Howard and Rene Tolson.
The ladies were back on the court two nights later at Maria Carrillo, falling to the Pumas in five hard-four sets; 21-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-18, 13-15.
“It was a well fought battle that we just couldn’t finish,” Schwarz noted. “After playing poorly both offensively and at the service line we made some minor adjustments and started serving more accurately.”
The match came down to an electrifying fifth set, with Windsor grabbing a 13-11 lead before the Pumas reeled off the final four points to win 15-13.
Pacing the Windsor attack were Hannah Dyer (24 assists, 5 aces, 17 digs), Todd (9 kills, 17 assists, 12 digs), Johnson (10 kills), Brooke Rooney (6 kills, 3 blocks), outside hitter Madison Weber (8 kills, 2 aces), Mara St. Amant (13 digs, 2 aces).
”I have to give every one of my players high praise, as they’ve fought through so much adversity this season with so many illnesses and injuries,” Schwarz said. “Every week it seems like we’re without one to two starters but they keep fighting.”
