Kelseyville sweeps KIPP King in Division 5 first-round match
Lake County Sports on Facebook
KELSEYVILLE >> The Kelseyville Knights added another “last” to their list of volleyball achievements this season after making quick work of the KIPP King Lions of San Lorenzo, 25-13, 25-8, 25-14 in the opening round of the NorCal Division 5 playoffs Tuesday night in Kelseyville.
For the record, the Knights (23-9) are not only the last Lake County team and North Central League I still playing the sport in mid-November, but now they’re the last North Coast Section Division 4 school still wearing volleyball uniforms. With first-round exits by Urban School of San Francisco, the NCS Division 4 champion, and Convent of the Sacred Heart of San Francisco, NCS Division 4 runner-up in the opening round of the NorCal Division 4 playoffs Tuesday night, the Knights, third-place finishers in the recently completed section playoffs, are the last man standing.
If they want to keep on breathing in the NorCals, which is part of the state playoff tournament, they’ll have to knock off the Escalon Cougars in the quarterfinals Thursday in Escalon at 6 p.m. If the sixth-seeded Knights can upset the third-seeded Escalon (17-15) squad, they’ll advance to the semifinals Saturday against the No. 7 Palma at No. 2 Hilmar winner at the home of the highest surviving seed.
It’s pretty exciting stuff for head coach Donelle McCallister and her 12-player-strong squad, both of which had their easiest night in the playoffs so far. After trading points early on in the first set with KIPP King, the Knights, leading 7-6, hit the gas pedal and put the Lions in their rear-view mirror for the rest of the night.
“Our strength tonight was definitely serving,” McCallister said. “We served 70 times and had 12 aces and only two serving errors.”
Senior AJ Wurm and sophomore Riley Hanson enjoyed extended stays at the service line at various points of the match as the Knights ran away with all three sets.
“It is tough on a team to drive over three hours and come into Lake County for the first time,” McCallister said of the Lions. “Our roads are not the easiest to navigate and they did come over Hopland Grade (Highway 175). Definitely the home court had the advantage.”
Mati Mateer led Kelseyville’s attack up front with 11 kills. The senior also had three blocks and two aces. Hanson followed with nine kills to go along with 13 digs, 12 assists and three aces, while Jordyn Wurm and Madison Byrne added six kills apiece. Olivia Bushey had five.
Other leaders were AJ Wurm with 17 digs and five aces, Bella Patti with 12 digs, Madeline Borghesani with 25 assists, Grace Hobbs with nine digs, and Liberty Lewis with four digs.
“Bella Patti once again demonstrated stellar serve receive,” McCallister said. “She also had some of her best serving tonight, putting the KIPP King team out of system more than not.”
Freshman Paelynn Beall, moved up from Kelseyville’s championship junior varsity squad following the regular season, gained her varsity court experience, attacking the ball twice.
PLAYOFF NOTES: The top eight NorCal Division 5 seeds all won Tuesday night … Urban and Convent of the Sacred Heart, the two teams reaching the Division 4 section championship game, lost in straight sets Tuesday night in the NorCal Division 4 field, so the Knights were likely fortunate to draw Division 5 for the NorCals … No Lake County team in any division, or any sport for that matter, has ever won a NorCal championship. Upper Lake girls basketball had teams reach the NorCal finals in 1991 (with three starting freshmen) and 1993, and Clear Lake girls basketball also reached the NorCal finals in 1989 … The farthest a county volleyball team has made it in the NorCals? Good question. We’re going back through records not to double check. Upper Lake won back-to-back Division 5 section titles in 1992-93 with the same group of girls who helped to bring the school so much success in basketball, namely Laura Wilder, Jen Bryant and Annie Pivniska.
