KELSEYVILLE >> A third meeting this season between North Central League I varsity volleyball co-champions Kelseyville and Clear Lake proved to be anticlimactic as the host Knights dispatched the Cardinals 25-19, 25-16, 26-24 on Saturday night in Kelseyville to secure the league’s automatic playoff berth into this week’s North Coast Section playoffs.
The outcome had no bearing on the regular-season league race during which both both teams won at home in five-set marathons.
Kelseyville changed up its lineup and it made all the difference in the rubber match between the two teams, according to Kelseyville coach Donelle McCallister.
“They rose to the challenge,” McCallister said. “They did awesome.”
Allison Bryan’ts 15 kills powered the Knights and Grace Davidson added 10 kills. Tymeka Green finished with 20 assists while Payton Conrad led the team in aces (six) and digs (26). Malia Brown added two aces.
Clear Lake coach Marci Psalmonds said the Cardinals, with the exception of two of her players, were a step behind the Knights all night long.
“Only Kiana (Richardson) and Camille (Donald) showed up to play,” Psalmonds said of a sluggish effort by the Cardinals only four days after they beat Kelseyville in five sets at Lakeport to move atop the league standings. “I’m just glad we didn’t play that way on Tuesday,” Psalmonds said. “We’re not going to beat anyone playing like that.”
Richardson had 15 kills and nine digs for Clear Lake in Saturday’s action while Donald added eight kills and eight digs.
Kelseyville and Clear Lake won’t meet again this season because they compete in different playoff divisions (Kelseyville in Division IV and Clear Lake in Division V).
Both McCallister and Psalmonds traveled to Cloverdale on Monday to participate in the All-League meeting at Cloverdale High School. The Lake County Record-Bee will announce its All-County team in the near future.
