WATSONVILLE >> Upsets happen and the Kelseyville Knights are looking for a big one tonight when they meet Monte Vista Christian in the opening round of the Northern California Division IV volleyball playoffs in Watsonville. Action begins at 7 p.m.
Kelseyville (25-6) is seeded 15th in the 16-team NorCal field while Monte Vista Christian (30-5) takes to its home floor as the No. 2 seed.
While Kelseyville fans are familiar with their own team’s story this season — the Knights finished 14-0 to win their second straight North Central League I title and made it as far as the North Coast Section quarterfinals before losing to St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda — their opponent tonight is having its best season in 20 years. After finishing third in the Gabilan Division of the Monterey Bay League, the Mustangs went on to upset powerhouse Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton in the Central Coast Section finals. Sacred Heart Prep had won 14 of the previous 16 Central Coast Section titles and was the No. 1 seed to Monte Vista’s No. 2 going into this year’s CCS tournament.
Monte Vista Christian’s Allie Tillery, a freshman middle hitter, pounded out 17 kills in the 25-18, 15-25, 25-23, 25-19 title-clinching victory over Sacred Heart Prep. It was the Mustangs’ first section championship since 1997.
Kelseyville should have fresh legs for tonight’s match. The Knights last saw action Nov. 5 in a 25-23, 25-14, 25-19 loss to St. Joseph Notre Dame. The Knights thought their season was over at that point and it wasn’t until Sunday that they learned they had secured one of the last at-large berths into the NorCal field. More than half of the team had moved on to basketball before word came down that they had at least one more volleyball match to play. The Knights practiced Monday and Tuesday in preparation for tonight’s NorCal opener.
Kelseyville crossed paths with Monte Vista Christian during last month’s NorCal Invitational in Napa where the Mustangs won 25-23, 25-14, 25-19.
If Kelseyville wins tonight, it moves on to the NorCal quarterfinals on Saturday at 7 p.m. against an opponent to be named and a location to be determined. If the Knights lose it will mark — officially this time — the final high school match for the team’s five seniors — Riley Goff, Carli Mendonca, Lauren Rudnick, Kaylie Williams and Maddie West.
