Sequoia dominates

Their single-season improvement from an underachieving squad to Ocean Division powerhouse this year has been nothing short of remarkable. Yes, they've been piling up wins in a C-points league, but don't forget the fact they've already beaten Bay Division Burlingame three times.

Thursday, Sequoia simply had too many weapons for the undermanned Warriors (5-7). Despite the difference in talent, South City is so fundamentally sound it pressures other teams to be at their best. Game 1 was a perfect case in point.

There were 10 ties and 12 lead changes as South City scrambled relentlessly to keep balls in play. But the Cherokees had too many weapons. Mercedes Marchbanks, the high-flying Sequoia outside hitter, delivered one of her game-high 12 kills to tie the game at 14. Marchbanks and middle blocker Heather Hoeft took control down the stretch as Sequoia went on a 6-1 run.

Marchbanks had two service aces and Hoeft smacked down two kills as Sequoia built a 21-15 lead it would not relinquish. Hoeft was particularly effective, finishing with nine kills on 10 attempts, a gaudy .900 hitting percentage.

The Cherokees' passing was superb, with Alexis Fletcher and Molly Lenahan leading the way. Sequoia focuses more on the basics in its hitting attack rather than running complicated sets. The results have been brutally effective. Inevitably, a Cherokees' point will go down as such: bump, set and kill.

Sequoia's smooth transition during long rallies makes it a strong team to contend with come playoff time. Claire Louie is as good a setter as there is on the Peninsula. She pumped out 30 assists in another flawless display of setting 101. Jenna Jerkovich added six kills and eight blocks, while Fletcher, Kelley White and Kelly Burke added five kills each. Hoeft added to Sequoia's block party with five "roofs." The Cherokees had 15 service aces. Marchbanks had seven and Louie four.

"I'm happy with what we've been able to do in league, and we'll know more about our team when we play in the Milpitas Tournament this weekend," Sequoia coach Jane Slater said. "We've played in three tournaments already and have more than held our own. The biggest difference this year is we're a more complete team. The girls have really developed their games and worked hard during the off-season. Today was a great passing day. If we can pass like that on a consistent basis, we can do a lot of great things."

Game 2 featured five ties and seven lead changes. Sequoia trailed 6-3 before going on a commanding 14-3 run, highlighted by five kills from Marchbanks. Hoeft said the key to the team's turnaround has more to do with chemistry than anything else. Louie is by far the team's vocal leader and everyone gets involved after every winning point by engaging in a variety of handshakes.

"We're just playing together and that makes the biggest difference," Hoeft said. "The last couple of years we've had a lot of great individual players, but didn't play well as a team. This year there's even a little more talent. More than half the team played club and went to camps in the summer. We're all pretty excited when we get out on the volleyball court."