El Mo to host Analy in “Apple Match” on Oct. 20
The high school volleyball season is heating up this week as the Lions and Tigers ready themselves for a postseason run.
Analy (7-3, 9-5) enters the final week of the Sonoma County League schedule in third place, three games back of first place Sonoma Valley and one back of Petaluma (8-2). Healdsburg is in fourth place at 6-4, followed by El Molino (4-7, 10-10). Piner and Elsie Allen are winless in league play.
This Thursday, Oct. 20 the Lions will host the Tigers in the second of two “Apple” matches in Forestville (Senior Night, 6:30 p.m.), with a lot at stake for the home team.
“If we beat Analy it will put us at 11-10 overall, so this is a big game,” El Mo coach Becky Sani said. “We’re sitting at number 13 in Division-4 and depending on whether we win or not that could go up. Either way we should make the playoffs.”
Next week the top four SCL teams will battle it out in the league tournament, which begins on Tuesday, Oct. 25. If the standings remain the same, number three Analy would open the tourney at second seeded Petaluma (7p.m.). The winner will meet the survivor of the Sonoma-Healdsburg match on Thursday, Oct. 27 (7 p.m.) at the site of the highest remaining seed.
Also looming is a spot in the upcoming North Coast Section Division-3 playoffs which begin the following week. Analy will be a lock for the NCS tourney, while El Molino also figures to land an NCS berth by virtue of a 6-6 record within Division-4. The NCS seeding committee will meet to fill out the tournament brackets on Oct. 29.
Tigers gain split
Analy is coming off an even split in two matches, easily defeating Elsie Allen on Oct. 11 in three sets; 25-19, 25-15, 25-16. Stat leaders were Ava Ehnes (5 aces) and Viviana Vigil (11 digs).
Two nights later, the Tigers ran into a tough match-up at Petaluma, falling to the Trojans in straight sets; 20-25, 20-25, 14-25. Ehnes led the way with (9 kills, 8 digs), while other standouts were Claire Rudderow (5 kills), Talullah Kuula (5 kills, 2 blocks), Sophie Holland (2 kills, 3 blocks) and Jalynn Serpa (10 assists).
Lions fall to Dragons, Trojans
El Molino weathered the toughest part of the SCL schedule last week in outings starting with an Oct. 11 meeting with visiting Petaluma. The Lions battled well throughout the match before falling in four sets; 22-25, 25-23, 23-25, 20-25.
Pacing the El Mo attack were Tiger Berna (8 kills, 6 digs), Kassidy Sani (6 aces, 7 kills, 10 assists, 4 digs), Jamie Noar (3 aces, 2 kills), Sasha Senal (7 kills, 1 ace), Emily Bowers (3 aces) and Torrie Boles (14 digs).
The Lions traveled to Sonoma Valley on Oct. 13, making the Dragons work before falling in four sets; 17-25, 10-25, 26-24, 22-25. No stats were available.
