LAKE COUNTY — When you win 30 matches in a season you’re doing something right and the Clear Lake High School varsity volleyball squad excelled on pretty much every level during a 2022 campaign that ended with a loss in the NorCal bracket of the CIF State Playoffs.
Clear Lake went 30-5 with a senior-dominated squad, including a 14-2 mark in league play. Of the Cardinals’ five losses, two came to Colusa (in their first match of the season and last), two were against undefeated North Central League I champion Roseland University Prep, and the other came to The Bay School in the semifinals of the North Coast Section Division 5 playoffs.
Leading the Cardinals were seniors Sierra Bruch, the team’s setter, and middle hitter Abby Mertle. They are the co-most valuable players on the 2022 All-County squad.
Joining Bruch and Mertle on the All-County first team are two other Clear Lake standouts, senior outside hitter Stella Hill and junior libero Amber Smart.
Rounding out the first team are a pair of Middletown standouts, senior libero Jaidyn Brown and senior outside hitter Skylar Williams, and Upper Lake senior outside hitter Madison Noble.
Middletown finished 9-7 in the NCL I standings (fourth place) while Upper Lake went 10-4 in the NCL II standings (third place). Both teams advanced to the sectional playoffs — Middletown in Division 4 and Upper Lake in Division 5.
Five players earned All-County second-team honors, led by Upper Lake seniors Taylar Minnis, a middle hitter, and Nathaly Velasco, a middle blocker. Also selected were Kelseyville junior setter Jayden Paulich, Middletown senior middle blocker Camille Schaffer, and Lower Lake senior setter Avery Adamcyk.
Bruch, Noble, Schaffer, Adamcyk and Paulich also were named to the All-County team in 2021.
