Burlingame’s Crouch heart and soul of fiery S.I. volleyball team

Crouch — a Burlingame native — is in her fourth season of varsity volleyball at St. Ignatius. In three previous years, while the Wildcats have flexed between the CCS Division II and Division III brackets, they never advanced past the semifinal round. With Tuesday’s sweep of banged-up Notre Dame-Belmont in the CCS Open Division semifinals, however, St. Ignatius advances to its first CCS title game since 2011.

“It’s pretty surprising that the last three years we haven’t got this far,” Crouch said. “I think the fun thing about Open is it’s supposed to be a ton better. But the two teams we’ve seen we’ve taken in three sets.”

The Wildcats last won a CCS crown in 2010. To do so this year in the inaugural season of the Open Division will be a tall order as they face West Catholic Athletic League rival Mitty, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, Friday at Independence High School in San Jose at 5:30 p.m. Mitty captured the WCAL title this year, running the table with a 5-0 league record. St. Ignatius finished in second place with its only league loss coming at the hands of the Monarchs in an Oct. 12 sweep.

“We’ve been working on a few things in practice just to try and change things a little bit,” Huan said. “We just have to play sharper. … In the past we’ve been off and we’ve been able to manage victories. But against a team like Mitty … if everybody on the court does the job we’re supposed to, we can beat them. They’re beatable. But is it going to be easy, absolutely not?”

Huan has strong San Mateo County ties as well as he and his wife Flynn co-founded the Red Rock Volleyball Club in Redwood City. Prior to transitioning to the Red Rock name, the club was known as Paye’s Place, where Huan first crossed paths with Crouch. Huan was the coach of the 13-14-year-old team when Crouch played for the 12-13s squad. Still, the lifelong volleyball player Crouch made a lasting impression.

“My recollection is she’s about the same as she is now — she’s kind of a fiery, feisty kid,” Huan said.

Fiery and feisty still, Crouch carries herself with the kind of swagger of someone doing what she knows she was born to do. In this sense, her personality isn’t necessarily big and boisterous. The way she plays the game sure is though, as evidenced by a massive block she scored in the CCS semifinals against the CCS’ leading scorer, Notre Dame-Belmont 6-foot outside hitter Katie Smoot.

What makes Crouch’s athleticism so special is she stands only 5-9, considered slight of stature for an elite outside hitter. In fact, she was recruited as a defensive specialist by UCLA, where she is slated to play next year on a full athletic scholarship.

So, her ability to block a crusher like Smoot seemed otherworldly. Yet Crouch’s reaction wasn’t to yell “roof,” or pump a fist, or any of the other standard celebrations generally seen after a critical block. The senior merely tiptoed back to the midcourt huddle, like a cool Wildcat on the prowl.

“That’s just who I am,” Crouch said. “When I was 13, people called me the animal. I guess I was just born with it. My mom and dad don’t know where I get it from. I don’t know what it is. I guess when things go my way, I just try to stay cool.”

The reason Crouch is an effective outside though is because she has always played bigger than her size. With a vertical leap of 9-foot, 8-inches, when she gets airborne it is a high-flying spectacle.

“She does play bigger than her size,” Huan said. “She’s got a great vertical and great athleticism; she gets way up there.”

This creates a major advantage for Crouch, as opponents tend not to see it coming when she exhibits constant dynamic play over the net.

“I obviously think it’s an advantage to me for people to underestimate me and then be able to take them by surprise,” Crouch said.

Within the Wildcats ranks, her personality is just as big. Huan said St. Ignatius often enjoys a relaxed atmosphere at practice. When the team needs to get serious though, Crouch — not the coaching staff — tends to be the one to turn up the intensity.

“I wouldn’t say this team takes her lead, this team more follows her lead,” Huan said. “They perk up when she speaks and they understand they have to step up when she demands it.”

Now, Crouch is looking to make the impossible possible with Friday’s David vs. Goliath matchup against Mitty. The Wildcats have actually played the Monarchs twice this season. Mitty also prevailed two weeks ago in the WCAL tournament championship game. St. Ignatius has yet to take a set from the Monarchs this season.

“I think this is a third-time’s-a-charm thing,” Crouch said. “The first round was just a wipeout — nothing good. The second time we were much closer. … And this time, hopefully we’ll get even closer and get a few sets. Hopefully the whole thing.”

Crouch is one of four San Mateo County residents on the St. Ignatius roster, along with 6-2 sophomore Lizzie Fleming (San Carlos); 5-9 junior Delaney Peranich (Half Moon Bay); and 5-10 junior Sarah Nunes (Belmont).