MIDDLETOWN >> Christina Wilson, Dakota Fugate, Kejhana Taylor and Natalie Karlsson racked up the kills on Tuesday as the Upper Lake High School varsity volleyball team opened its 2016 schedule with a 25-19, 25-12, 22-25, 25-23 non-league win over Anderson Valley at Boonville.
Wilson led the way with eight kills while Fugate, Taylor and Karlsson, who is the Upper Lake setter, added seven kills apiece. Karlsson also had 19 assists to go along with four aces. Taylor added three aces.
“Everybody was playing pretty well,” Upper Lake coach Raelene Cromwell said. “They were playing together … and it also helps when some of your players have grown a foot since last season.”
Anderson Valley, a small-school power most seasons, isn’t quite as loaded with talent as in past years, according to Cromwell.
Anderson Valley beat Upper Lake in the best-of-three junior varsity match, 25-20, 18-25, 15-5.
Upper Lake returns home Thursday to take on Clear Lake. JV action begins at 5 p.m.
In other volleyball action Tuesday:
M’town def. Roseland Prep
At Middletown, even with a team that is tilted toward the young side, the Middletown Mustangs opened their season with a 25-15, 20-25, 25-19, 25-19 non-league win over Roseland Prep of Santa Rosa .
Coach Jennifer Breiner’s 12-man squad consists of five seniors, two of them with a great deal of experience, three juniors, and four sophomores.
“I have four 14-year-olds on my team,” Breiner said. “Even the juniors are young juniors.”
While the team is a little lean on varsity experience, Breiner calls it a good group.
“I think they’re strong and I think they’re smart,” she said. “Usually when you have a first match with a young team things can be a bit chaotic but it went very smoothly tonight.”
Brittney Holt, a setter and outside hitter for the Mustangs, led the way with 11 kills and six aces. Amy Herman, a left-side hitter, added six kills and two aces, outside hitter Olivia Glosser contributed six klls and three aces, and sophomore right-side hitter Abby Hibner finished with five kills and two blocks.
“She’s very young but going to be a good one,” Breiner said of Hibner.
“They played very aggressively,” Breiner said of the Mustangs’ season debut. It’s going to take them awhile to figure it out, but they will.”
Middletown’s JV squad also came away with a win, 25-19, 25-23.
Middletown travels to Colusa on Thursday, scrimmages Lower Lake on Friday and plays in the Justin-Siena Tournament on Saturday in Napa.
