LAKEPORT — Even when someone’s off their game on the Clear Lake High School varsity volleyball team, someone else is on. Welcome to strength in numbers, Cardinals style.
“We do not have one big hitter,” Clear Lake head coach Marci Psalmonds said after the Cardinals dispatched the Kelseyville Knights, 25-15, 25-15, 25-12, on Thursday night in a North Central League I varsity volleyball match in Lakeport. “We have a bunch of hitters.”
The match numbers certainly support Psalmonds’ assessment of the situation. Montana Wells led the way against Kelseyville with eight kills, Abby Mertle and Stella Hill each had seven, and Quincy Paarsch added six more as the Cardinals improved to 12-2 in the league standings with two matches remaining. While it’s highly unlikely they’ll catch undefeated Roseland University Prep (14-0), which had a bye Thursday, the Cardinals need just one more win to wrap up sole possession of second place in the league standings, and they’ll get that chance Tuesday when they hit the road to play Fort Bragg (11-4).
Now 26-3 overall, Clear Lake is currently the No. 1-seeded team in Division 5 of the North Coast Section, and closing out the regular season with wins over Fort Bragg and Cloverdale (Oct. 20 at home) could mean the homecourt advantage for the Cardinals throughout the postseason just as long as they can keep on winning.
“It would be nice to be at home the whole way,” Psalmonds said with an eye toward the considerable support her players receive from Clear Lake’s fans, including an enthusiastic student section that is making noise on most every point of every set.
Clear Lake didn’t waste much time against a young Kelseyville squad that is still building toward its future. The Knights (4-10) led only a couple of times all night against the Cardinals – not at all in set one, and only very early in sets two and three. Too many unforced errors and too much everything else by the Cardinals contributed to the three-set sweep.
“A young team will do that every time,” Kelseyville head coach Donelle McCallister said of the Knights’ numerous hitting errors. “But Clear Lake did a good job at everything tonight. They’re solid and we’re still learning to play. We’re going to get there, we’re going to keep getting better.”
Wells, a middle hitter, may have had the best night of all the Cardinals, according to Psalmonds.
“She really stepped it up,” Psalmonds said. “Both of my middle hitters (Mertle being the other) are peaking at the right time.”
Hill, an outside hitter, struggled early with her hitting but came on strong in the third set when she recorded six of her seven kills. She also had a long run from the service line in the second set, serving seven straight points with two aces as the Cardinals opened up a 17-10 lead and never looked back.
“We switched her to a quick hit from the outside and she really started to pound it,” Psalmonds said of Hill. “She was fine after that.”
Hill also finished the match with four aces.
Clear Lake’s energizer bunny, better known as senior setter Sierra Bruch, had her routine solid outing with 23 assists and 14 digs.
“She was all over the place as usual,” Psalmonds said.
Paarsch added 10 digs while libero Amber Smart had nine digs and three aces.
“They played really well,” Psalmonds said in grading the Cardinals’ collective effort. “There were some really good rallies, but we won most of them.”
While Clear Lake’s offense certainly did its part, Psalmonds said the Cardinals’ defense is the key to the team.
“We have no holes,” Psalmonds said. “We’re used to playing with each other and this defense is playing real well.”
Kelseyville received solid play from Cali Schnabl (15 digs) and Maddy Madrzyk (14 digs). Olivia Hommer also had four kills.
“Cali passed the ball like a big dog again,” McCallister said.
The Knights are home against Cloverdale on Tuesday before wrapping up league play Thursday in Willits.
Junior varsity
Clear Lake also won the junior varsity match, 25-14, 25-21, behind seven kills from Kaylah Billig and four kills apiece from Halley Escalera and Callie Chesbro.
Other leaders for the Cardinals were Atiana Patino with 17 digs, Emily Gersalia with 12 assists, seven digs, seven points and two aces, and Rachel Fred with seven points.
“She is peaking at the right time for a sophomore who is headed up to the varsity next season,” head coach Morgan Psalmonds said of Gersalia.
Billig has already amassed more kills in a single season than any other Clear Lake JV player during Psalmonds’ five seasons with the team.
Clear Lake has won its last three league matches, that following a six-match losing streak.
