SAN FRANCISCO >> The Kelseyville Knights are the last team standing among Lake County”s volleyball playoff hopefuls.
A surprise?
Not really. Under head coach Donelle McCallister, the Knights have posted some solid numbers three seasons running. Add to that a 27-25, 25-18, 21-25, 14-25, 15-13 upset win over No. 7 seed Lick Wilmerding on Wednesday night in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs at San Francisco, and it only gets better for a club that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon — six of the 10 players on its roster return in 2015.
“I”m so excited for the girls,” McCallister said. “They were excited after winning a roller-coaster match. We had all the momentum after (winning) the first two games, but momentum shifted and we had to fight our way back.”
Lick Wilmerding, the No. 7 seed to Kelseyville”s No. 10, came storming back to win the third and fourth sets and even the match. The Knights regained the initiative to win a back-and-forth fifth set.
“It”s the first time my team has made it through the first round,” McCallister said of the 22-8 Knights, the runner-up in the North Central League I this season behind undefeated champion St. Helena.
Even a year ago when the Knights finished 25-8 and won the NCL I title with a 13-1 record, they didn”t make it out of the first round in a hard-to-survive Division IV bracket.
While the team relied on powerful senior middle hitter Jeannie Johnson a year ago to subdue its opponents, the team”s offense has been more diversified this year, which is to say the Knights get contributions from many more players. And the bottom line is they just keeping on winning. Counting this season, their league mark since 2012 is 35-7.
On Wednesday against Lick Wilmerding, the Knights again had several players contribute in a big way. At the top of that list was sophomore Riley Goff with nine kills, 15 assists and 28 digs. Junior Heidy Cano added 10 kills on only 24 arm swings, sophomore Lauren Rudnick had 21 digs, and senior Mary McCallister chipped in with 24 digs and 15 assists. Another unsung hero was senior Elena Goss, who filled in for one of the team”s kill leaders, Kayla Zarate, who was out of action because of illness. Goss stepped in and had four blocks.
“She worked really hard for us up front and did a great job,” McCallister said.
Kelseyville faces an even bigger task Saturday night at 7 p.m. against No. 2 seed Justin-Siena in the quarterfinal round at Napa. While the Knights are definitely the underdogs against the Braves, who compete in the rough-and-tumble Marin County Athletic League, they”re used to being in that position.
“They”ve all done a great job this season,” McCallister said of her players. “I couldn”t be more proud of them.”
