Girls Volleyball
When it comes to sports in the East Bay, teams in leagues such as the East Bay Athletic League and the Diablo Foothill Athletic League are very well respected and well known and in the sport of girls volleyball, those leagues usually contain most of the highly touted teams.
Leagues like the Hayward Athletic League, the Bay Valley Athletic League, the Bay Shore Athletic League and the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League seem to be just off the beaten path in most volleyball circles; and then there is the Mission Valley Athletic League.
The furthest away from the rest of the leagues, in terms of distance, the MVAL doesn’t usually garner the type of respect and prestige that volleyball teams from the more centrally located leagues do.
But there is very good volleyball being played in the Fremont area, and there are three teams in particular with a chance to reach the North Coast Section Division I playoffs in Mission San Jose, Washington and Irvington. All three are tied atop the league at 4-1.
“It definitely gets overlooked,” Mission San Jose coach Donny Hui said of the league. “We have three very good teams with a chance to make the playoffs.”
All three teams could, and perhaps should make the playoffs, but after that is where the MVAL is looking to earn some respect. No team from the MVAL has won an NCS game against a non-MVAL team since Logan beat Berkeley in 2005 and no MVAL team has got past the second round this decade.
One of these three teams is looking to change that, with Mission San Jose looking to have the best chance.
The Warriors return every player from last year’s league champion team, including outside hitter Kayla Ma, who is regarded as the best player in the league. She’s just 5-7 and doesn’t play club, but she gets the most out of her size and limited playing time.
“She’s very athletic and despite having limited experience, she’s consistent with her technique,” Hui said. “She has a great vertical leap and athletically she’s intelligent.”
The Warriors are a fundamentally sound team, but their challenge is overcoming the size of bigger teams. With Allison Day and Sarah Dressler at 5-11, the height stops there. “We’re one of the better technical teams in terms of passing, serving and defense,” Hui said. “We can’t overpower teams. We have to be as clean as possible.”
Or could it be Irvington that challenges from the MVAL? The Vikings beat Mission San Jose earlier this year, but MSJ was missing four starters, so Irvington coach Kim Martin knows they need to do it again to prove it.
“To beat them a second time would prove a lot,” Martin said. “All three of us are very good teams capable of beating each other on a given day.” The Vikings, like the Warriors, have their sites set on winning the league and contending in the NCS playoffs.
“We talked about being in the top two or three in the league, but there is still a long way to go,” Martin said. “We’re looking for good things this year. The goal is to win the league, reach the NCS and win that first round game.”
“They can only stop themselves. They have the talent to play with anyone.” Irvington certainly has a player that can hang with anyone, in middle Katie Lopez and as Martin said, “I haven’t seen anyone that can stop her yet.”
Speaking of unstoppable players, Washington has one of those in junior Konami Yokoyama. A transfer from Japan, the 6-2 Yokoyama is virtually unstoppable when a good set finds her. More times than not, Chessie Santeramo finds her, including 22 times in a recent win over Irvington.
Something that might appear as an obstacle from the outside for Washington to deal with, really is not. Head coach Ashley Eyre gave birth and had to leave the team a few weeks prior, leaving them without their head coach. But that wasn’t a problem as assistant coach Nicole Rodamer has stepped in quite nicely. She has coached with Eyre at Washington for a while an the two coach club together in Santa Clara.
“It was easy to come in and work with the team,” Rodamer said. “The girls are great and it was all setup and ready to go.”
Rodamer, and the rest of the Huskies, seem very confident that they can win the league.
“From what I’ve heard, it seems like we’re the team to beat,” Rodamer said. “They just need to be confident because they have the talent. They just need to show up every day knowing they can do it.”
All three teams appear to have a good chance of reaching the NCS playoffs, now it’s up to them to make some noise once they get there.
Rankings
I knew this week was going to be hard as far as the rankings are concerned, and there was no way to possibly make everyone happy. The top four were hard to decide on, but I moved Bishop O’Dowd back to No. 1. The Dragons avenged their loss to Campolindo, and they jump Amador Valley because they beat Sacred Heart Cathedral, who the Dons have split with, and beat St. Mary’s-Stockton, who the Dons lost to.
Miramonte, though losing to Amador Valley in its first match of the year, moves to No. 2. The Mats swept Campolindo, who beat Amador Valley and have won 10-straight matches. They would have been No. 1 had O’Dowd not beaten Campolindo at the Great-8 Tournament. Campolindo’s win over Amador Valley is more recent than the Dons win over Miramonte, so Campolindo stays at No. 3. I am sure not everyone will love this, but there was no situation that would have made everyone happy.
The middle of the rankings were even harder. It was easy to keep Albany and Granada at fifth and sixth, especially with Granada winning the Castro Valley Tournament, but after that it’s a mess. Because they have been consistent and haven’t lost in quite a while, Moreau Catholic jumps to No. 7 and will have a chance to back up that ranking at O’Dowd on Oct. 8.
Foothill, who has shown to be Jekyll and Hyde a bit this year, is at No. 8 despite a couple of losses to unranked teams. Recent wins over Northgate and Carondelet assured that. Carondelet, San Ramon Valley, Northage, Deer Valley and Salesian at 9-13 seems to make sense, and in the bottom two spots, welcome in Mission San Jose and Washington. MSJ plays Irvington on Oct. 8, so that will clear some things up in the MVAL race, and Washington won a great match in five at Irvington on Oct. 1.
1. Bishop O’Dowd
2. Miramonte
3. Campolindo
4. Amador Valley
5. Albany
6. Granada
7. Moreau Catholic
8. Foothill
9. Carondelet
10. San Ramon Valley
11. Northgate
12. Deer Valley
13. Salesian
14. Mission San Jose
15. Washington
Others considered: Irvington, Acalanes, Berean Christian, Liberty, Heritage, California, Castro Valley, St. Patrick-St. Vincent, St. Mary’s, Alameda.
Q&A with Haley Kavanaugh
Let’s not forget East Contra Costa County. Here is Heritage’s Haley Kavanaugh. You won’t believe how much she likes math. I still can’t believe it.
Why volleyball? What got you into it?
Haley: Well, I first started playing volleyball in the seventh grade for my middle school, Edna Hill Middle School. I originally decided to go for it because my best friend at the time was trying out, so I decided to try out with her just to see if I’d like it or not. Other than that, I think my other inspiration is the fact that my aunt and uncle, Sean and Teresa Stratton were (and still are) the directors of Diablo Valley Volleyball Club, so I’d been around volleyball a lot before. I like to think that they sparked my interest as well.
What are your thoughts about playing out at Heritage? Do you feel like you guys get overlooked?
Haley: I love playing at Heritage. I think the volleyball program is one of the best athletic programs at the school and maybe even in the league. I love how everyone feels like a family, but when it’s time to play in a match, there’s no messing around. The girls on my team are incredible, and I also love my coach, Janet Hanningan.
Does Heritage get overlooked?
Maybe. Our school is only five years old, so not many people have heard of Heritage, and we’re not seen as much of a threat. Our volleyball program may not have the same tradition and reputation as schools that have been around for much longer, but I definitely think Heritage is beginning to make a name for itself. In a few years, I hope we will be seen as real force to be reckoned with.
How do you guys prove you are as good as schools from the EBAL, DFAL, etc….?
Haley: Well all we can really do is play to the best of our ability. I hope we get the chance to play other teams that aren’t in BVAL to prove that we are as good or better.
Could this be the year for Heritage in the BVAL?
Haley: Of course. Our team has made it clear that one of our main goals is to be BVAL champions. I think that goal is definitely within reach. I’d say we just need to watch out for Deer Valley and Liberty. If we really put our minds to it and focus on each match, there’s no telling what we can do.
What will it take from you guys to make NCS and then make some noise once you get there?
Haley: We made NCS last year, and I feel our team is stronger this year so I don’t expect that to be a problem. We need to win as many matches as possible and remain confident of our abilities as a team. That will prove that we are a very competitive team that deserves to play other competitive teams. Like I said before, we just really need to focus on Deer Valley and Liberty. But also, we can’t take the other teams in our league lightly. We will need to really try to win all of our matches in three games, with a high point lead.
Tell us a little about yourself… What are your favorite movies, music and things to do?
Haley: Hmm, well that first question isn’t very hard. My favorite movie is Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. I’ve got to admit, I love comedies and chick-flicks the best.
When it comes to music, I listen to almost everything. You name it: country, hip-hop, pop, R&B, alternative, rock. My favorite artists include Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Boys Like Girls, and Lady Gaga.
Lastly, my favorite things to do? Well, my number one would have to be volleyball of course. It truly is my favorite thing to do, and it’s taught me so much. Other than that, I like going to the movies, shopping, and just hanging out with friends. I also love camping, boating and tubing. I’m actually quite the tubing master. I’m going to admit my freakish love for math. I’m pretty much a nerd. I love math so much that I save my math homework until last because I actually enjoy doing it. I am in AP Calculus right now, and I hope to study math more in college and one day become a high school math teacher and volleyball coach.
League standings
Please send in updates if your record is incorrect.
ACCAL
Team League GB
Berkeley 4-0 -
Alameda 3-0 .5
El Cerrito 2-1 1.5
De Anza 1-2 2.5
Richmond 0-1 2.5
Hercules 0-2 3
Pinole Valley 0-4 4
BSAL
Team League GB
Albany 9-0 -
Salesian 8-2 1.5
St. Patrick-St. Vincent 7-2 2
Piedmont 6-3 3
St. Mary’s 5-3 3.5
St. Joseph Notre Dame 4-5 5
Encinal 1-6 7
Swett 1-7 7.5
Kennedy-R 0-6 7.5
Holy Names 0-7 8
BVAL
Team League GB
Deer Valley 5-0 -
Liberty 4-1 1
Heritage 3-2 2
Freedom 2-3 3
Antioch 1-4 4
Pittsburg 0-5 5
DFAL
Team League GB
Miramonte 3-0 -
Campolindo 3-1 .5
Acalanes 2-1 1
Las Lomas 2-2 1.5
Dougherty Valley 1-2 2
Dublin 1-3 2.5
Alhambra 0-3 3
DVAL
Team League GB
Northgate 3-0 -
Berean Christian 2-1 1
Clayton Valley 2-1 1
Concord 2-1 1
College Park 1-2 2
Ygnacio Valley 0-2 2.5
Mt. Diablo 0-3 3
EBAL
Team League GB
Amador Valley 4-0 -
Granada 4-0 -
Foothill 3-1 1
California 2-2 2
Carondelet 2-2 2
San Ramon Valley 1-3 3
Monte Vista 0-4 4
Livermore 0-4 4
HAAL
Team League GB
Bishop O’Dowd 4-0 -
Moreau Catholic 4-0 -
Castro Valley 3-1 1
San Leandro 2-2 2
Hayward 1-2 2.5
Arroyo 1-3 3
Mt. Eden 0-2 3
Tennyson 0-2 3
San Lorenzo 0-3 3.5
MVAL
Team League GB
Mission San Jose 4-1 -
Washington 4-1 -
Irvington 4-1 -
Logan 2-2 1.5
American 2-4 2.5
Newark Memorial 1-4 3
Kennedy-F 0-4 3.5
