Athlete of the Week: Sacred Heart Prep’s Isabelle Marco

“She was incredible,” Marco said of her mentor Muir. “She was such a leader on the court last year. And when she left, I kind of knew somebody had to fill that role.”

Now, Marco is the veteran leader of an even more sophisticated offense that rotates around three setters. Along with juniors Jillian Amaro and Erika Maas, the Gators are storming through uncharted waters, sitting all alone in first place in the West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division and, most recently, capturing the tournament championship Saturday at the Chris Chandler Invitational at neighboring Menlo School.

“Having three setters is actually a great thing,” Marco said. “It allows us all to play different positions. Without having Erika and Jillian on the team, I wouldn’t be able to play outside hitter. So, I feel like it’s a very good opportunity for me to try out my different skills on the court.”

Marco has earned Daily Journal Athlete of the Week honors after showcasing her versatility through six matches last week. The most impressive was last Thursday’s four-set win at home over Mercy-Burlingame, as the junior recorded a triple-double with 19 kills, 15 digs and 26 assists.

Her prowess continued through Saturday’s tournament, as she and junior outside hitter Mia Radeff navigated a tough matchup in the semifinals with Burlingame. The Gators had already dropped a five-set battle with the Panthers earlier in the season, and things weren’t going well in Game 1 of the Chandler Invitational semis, as SHP trailed by six points midway through the set.

That’s when SHP’s true colors — that’s red and white, for those of you scoring at home — came through.

“I love it when we’re down — it sounds like an odd comment coming from a volleyball coach — because I don’t think [Marco] understands the power that she has and what she’s capable of permeating to her team,” Magner said. “We have a team full of those kids, but Isabelle is … a force to be reckoned with. She is not going to walk off that court not having given every ounce of her being.”

Magner knows Marco as well as anyone. As a club coach, Magner coached a 10-year-old Marco when she discovered her passion for setting. It’s a role Marco took to immediately.

“She’s just a force and you can feel it,” Magner said. “It’s in her energy. She is humble and, in my opinion, plays with the highest level of humility, and wants nothing more than the success of her teammates, which is what makes her so successful.”

It’s Marco’s prowess as a setter that has served as a mustard seed for her all-around excellence. Last season, she discovered her swing and proved a proficient attacker, averaging 2.7 kills per set while hitting at a .300 clip on the season. This year, Marco has emerged as a different beast, leading the Gators with 4.5 kills per set while swinging at a .406 clip.

This while ranking third on the team with 4.4 assists per set, and third in digs with 2.2 per set.

“I have a really great opportunity here,” Marco said. “I can set, pass and play outside hitter. And I go back to my coaches, they train me every day and I’m so grateful to have that opportunity. Not every team would let me play all three of those positions. … When I can execute all three of those numbers, it’s pretty awesome, but I couldn’t do it with anybody else.”

Marco’s presence was integral as the Gators came storming back in the first set of the Chandler semis, ultimately taking down Burlingame in straight sets 29-27, 25-11.

In 10 previous seasons of Menlo School’s host tournament, not only had the Gators never won a championship, they had never even reached the finals. But Saturday’s effort demonstrated an SHP volleyball program — already a perennial CCS playoff team — is aspiring to new heights.

What’s terrifying is SHP’s strong start this season is part of a two-year plan. Of the 12 players on roster, 10 are juniors. Yes, that includes all three setters, meaning Amaro’s contagious energy, Maas’s court omnipresence, and Marco’s all-around superstar potential are going to define a legacy of Gators volleyball through the 2023 season.

“All of our energy — all of us are juniors, we all get along really well — I think that chemistry really led us into all of our wins and really pushed us to execute really fast in all our games,” Marco said. “And I think we never really let up.”

They certainly didn’t let up in Saturday’s finals against their archrival and tournament host Menlo, storming to a 25-20, 25-14 sweep.

“Beating Menlo at their home tournament felt pretty nice,” Marco said. “All that hard work throughout the day, at the end, you’re just like: ‘Ahh!’ It’s well deserved, I think. We were all so happy and so proud of each other out there, because each one of us worked for every point and we were going for every ball with everything we had left in us.”