KELSEYVILLE >> If three-set sweeps are the stuff that volleyball championships are made of, the Kelseyville Knights are sitting pretty.
Kelseyville defeated Fort Bragg 25-10, 25-15, 25-11 on Thursday evening in Lakeport to improve to a North Central League I-best 12-0. In those 12 league matches, the Knights have swept the opposition 11 times. They’ve dropped only one set and that was way back on Sept. 20 against St. Helena. Kelseyville won in four sets that night.
Payton Conrad’s 14 digs and four aces led the way against Fort Bragg. Carli Mendonca blasted 13 kills and Riley Goff had 24 assists.
One of the Knights’ unsung heroes most nights is Lauren Rudnick and so it was again against Fort Bragg, according to Kelseyville coach Donelle McCallister.
“Lauren almost passed a perfect game,” McCallister said of the senior. “Her defense is strong, her offense is strong. She is invaluable to this team.”
The Knights close out their league and regular-season schedule next week. They travel to Middletown (3-9) on Tuesday before returning home Thursday to take on Clear Lake (11-1). If Kelseyville beats Middletown, the Knights clinch no worse than a share of the league title. They won the NCL I outright in 2013 and again last season.
Kelseyville needed three sets to win the junior varsity match 23-25, 25-15, 15-6. Kalee Ellis led the way with 11 kills, Grace Duty added six kills, Malia Brown had 13 assists, two kills and two aces, and Paige Bour finished with 13 assists. Like the varsity, the JV Knights are 12-0 in the league standings with two matches left.
