THURSDAY
Sacred Heart Prep 3, Palo Alto 2
SHP (2-0) rallied back after dropping sets 2 and 3 to earn a 25-17, 22-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-11 win at home over Palo Alto (1-2). It’s the second match in what is a busy opening week for the Gators, who opened their season Tuesday with a sweep of Burlingame, and will back in action Friday in hosting Riordan-SF.
Fueled by their heavy hitters, the Gators totaled 60 kills against Paly. Sophomore outside hitter Leilah Abrams recorded a double-double with 21 kills and 19 digs, while senior Poema Ueligitone totaled 20 kills. Junior setter Kiley McGibben added a double-double of 46 assists and 23 digs, while senior libero Peyton Fu-Sarosa racked up a team-high 29 digs.
The Gators have one more preseason non-league match to play, next Tuesday, in traveling to Menlo-Atherton for a 6:30 p.m. start. SHP opens West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division play next Thursday in traveling down Valparaiso Avenue to take on rival Menlo School.
The now seven-team WBAL Foothill features five county powers this season. Last year, with five teams in the division, SHP settled for second place while Mercy-Burlingame ran the table in the Foothill to win its first championship in the WBAL’s upper division since 2010. Menlo School took third place while Notre Dame-Belmont settled for fifth. This year, Crystal moves up to the Foothill Division, along with Harker-San Jose, after the two shared the league championship in the lower WBAL Skyline Division last season.
Mercy-Burlingame 3, Carlmont 2
Mercy-Burlingame (2-1) got back in the win column with a 25-20, 25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 15-7 win over Carlmont (1-3). The Bears have now won two in a row in head-to-head play with Carlmont dating back to last season.
Junior setter Isabella Reyes recorded a triple-double for Mercy, totaling 11 kills, 12 digs and 30 assists. When Reyes wasn’t putting the ball down, she was connecting with senior Sadie McCulloch for 16 kills, and freshman Olivia Eastburn for 11 kills.
Senior libero Juliette Escobar led the Bears with 23 digs, junior setter Alyssa Trehan had 15 assists and six service aces, and freshman Gianna Ohman added four aces.
Mercy has one more non-league preseason warmup next Tuesday in hosting Aragon at 6:15 p.m. The Bears open West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division play the following week, Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Notre Dame-San Jose.
Carlmont hosts Notre Dame-Belmont next Tuesday in non-league play before opening its Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division schedule next Thursday at Aragon.
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Sacred Heart Cathedral 3, Menlo-Atherton 0
M-A (2-2) had its two-game winning streak snapped in a 25-17, 25-21, 25-23 loss at Sacred Heart Cathedral-SF (2-1). The win is the second straight for the Fightin’ Irish, who previously swept Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland.
The Bears have now faced two West Catholic Athletic League powers in non-league play. They previously fell at Mitty in straight sets in their Aug. 28 season opener. They have another big test in next Tuesday’s final preseason non-league tuneup in hosting reigning Central Coast Section Division IV champion Sacred Heart Prep at 6:30 p.m.
M-A begins its league-championship defense next Thursday in its Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division opener at Half Moon Bay.
Notre Dame-Belmont 3, Mills 0
The Tigers (3-0) won their third straight under new head coach Mark Piorkowski, traveling to Mills for a 25-16, 25-19, 25-15 sweep. The Vikings (1-7) were led by junior outside hitter Tiffany Siu’s six kills and two aces, while senior libero Chloe Wong totaled 14 digs.
Piorkowski takes over the program with the departure of former head coach Jen Agresti, who coached 13 seasons at NDB, a span that including four Central Coast Section championships and a CIF Division IV state championship in 2015.
Nueva School 3, Eastside Prep 0
The Mavericks (2-0) won their second straight to open the year, sweeping 25-13, 25-18, 25-10 at home against Eastside College Prep (1-1). Freshman Julia Cai enjoyed another big performance at the service line, totaling eight aces to go with nine kills. Cai has totaled 17 aces through two matches to start her varsity career.
In other action ...
South City (1-1) fell in straight sets 25-8, 25-16, 27-25 in non-league play at Yerba Buena-Jose (3-2).
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