Girls' teams revving up for fall season Girls' teams revving up for fall season (August 26, 2005)

Coaches have high hopes at Mountain View, Los Altos and St. Francis high schools

By Scott Campbell

With classes already underway, the start of the fall sports season is not far behind. In a two-part series, we'll preview the upcoming high school season by examining each team.

With the exception of field hockey, St. Francis competes in the West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL), while Mountain View and Los Altos are members of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL). For most sports, the SCVAL is made up of the upper De Anza Division and the lower El Camino Division. All three schools are members of the Central Coast Section (CCS).

This week, the Voice details what to look for in the girls' sports scene. Coming next week is the boys' preview.
VOLLEYBALL

When Mountain View and Los Altos meet on the court this season, a lot more than local bragging rights will be on the line. With both teams fighting to gain one of the De Anza Division's three automatic bids to the CCS playoffs, their head-to-head matches on Oct. 4 and Oct. 25 take on added significance.

Mountain View, which has eight seniors returning from its 2004 team that finished 24-12, looks to improve on its fourth-place De Anza finish and exceed the team's quarterfinal run in the CCS Division II playoffs. Led by senior setter Abby Damm, the Spartans also hope to end a troubling trend. "Our seniors have never beaten Los Altos," said Mountain View coach Gerrie Phillips.

Los Altos looks to maintain its tradition of excellence despite losing two of the section's top players. With Lauren Schaefer and Michelle Nelson now playing collegiate ball, the Eagles look to their six seniors to lead them back to CCS, now in the loaded Division II. While equaling last season's 20-match winning streak may be difficult, coach Dave Winn looks forward to his team defending its No. 2 status behind Los Gatos in De Anza. "It's going to be a dogfight, so it's going to be really fun."

Meanwhile, St. Francis hopes to return to the CCS playoffs two years removed from its 2003 championship. The Lancers, who finished last season in fifth place in the WCAL with an overall record of 13-12, were beaten out for the last at-large bid in the CCS Division II playoffs by Mountain View.
WATER POLO

St. Francis hopes that somehow, someway, it can continue the streak. The Lancers have played in an incredible seven consecutive CCS title games, winning four in a row in 2000-03. But with 13 players having graduated from last year's CCS runner-up, this season may prove to be the greatest challenge yet.

St. Francis, led by senior Lizzy Rouleau and junior Jenna Gunderson, finds itself in an unusual position. "We're looking for the upset," said coach Brendon Reutebuch, whose roster is packed with sophomores. "Who knows what's going to happen?"

Los Altos and Mountain View hope to build on their success of last season in the tough De Anza Division. The Eagles, whose lone league loss in 2004 was to Palo Alto, lost six of last year's starters to graduation and will work in a host of young players. The Sept. 8-10 Los Altos Invitational, among whose entrants are the crosstown Spartans, will be a good early-season barometer for the host Eagles.

Mountain View, with eight returning seniors from last season's 15-6 CCS squad, looks to work in some young talent as well. Freshman Kendall Preston and sophomores Laura Espinosa and Rachel Rossi will figure into the mix as the Spartans hope to continue improve in their second season in the upper division.
FIELD HOCKEY

With a significantly smaller pool of schools that offer field hockey, both St. Francis and Los Altos play in the Blossom Valley Athletic League. The Lancers, members of the highest of the league's three divisions, Mt. Hamilton, hope to return to the CCS playoffs after a one-year hiatus. The Eagles, who play in the middle Santa Teresa Division, hope to build some continuity with a roster stocked with juniors.

St. Francis, which advanced to three consecutive CCS title games from 2001 to 2003, winning one championship outright and the share of another, failed to advance to the section playoffs last season for the first time in the program's history. Despite a season-ending upset over eventual CCS co-champion Mitty, a 7-5-5 record left the Lancers on the outside looking in. Led by Kathy Lincoln, the California Coaches Association Field Hockey Coach of the Year, St. Francis looks to start a new run.

Los Altos, which finished 4-6-4 last season, welcomes back leading scorer Shri Vyas, a junior. With only two returning seniors on the squad, the Eagles are excited to see how good their program can become. "The girls are psyched up, ready to start it off," said coach Gerri Baldwin. Los Altos faces a tough test right off the bat. The Eagles begin their season by hosting St. Francis on Sept. 1.
CROSS COUNTRY

With Los Altos joining Mountain View and St. Francis in Division II this season, local runners will have ample opportunities to face off on the course.

Los Altos, which made its first appearance in the state meet after a third-place CCS finish in Division III last year, knows its young team faces a stark challenge moving up a division this year. "Things are going to be a lot tougher," said coach Julia Widstrand, whose team has no seniors. Nevertheless, with star junior Caitlin Russell leading a strong squad that includes sophomores Brittany Westrum and Julia Cashen, the future looks extremely bright for the Eagles. "I expect to see us back in State, if not this year, then definitely next year," said Widstrand.

Mountain View returns five of its seven runners from last year's team that finished ninth in CCS, including Tania Morimoto, who set a school record at the CCS Championships as a freshman. Five talented freshmen are pushing the returnees and causing Spartans coach Samantha Read to rave about her team's potential. "Basically, they're like mini Tanias," said Read of her freshmen. "We're so excited. We really believe we can make it to the state meet."

St. Francis has a talented returning sophomore of its own. As a freshman in 2004, Shelby Golan finished 10th in CCS and missed qualifying for the State Individual Championships by one second. The Lancers look to improve on last season's fifth-place finish in CCS. The top four teams from the CCS Championships qualify for the State meet.
TENNIS

Los Altos and St. Francis, quarterfinalists in last season's CCS Team Tennis Championships, suffered heavy losses to graduation, but each team returns its top player.

Los Altos, which finished the 2004 campaign with a 13-7 record and fell to De Anza Division rival Saratoga in CCS, looks to sophomore Samantha Lam to help ease the loss of four seniors. The Eagles know their performances against De Anza powerhouses Monta Vista, Los Gatos and Saratoga will go a long way to showing whether they can repeat last season's success. "For us to go anywhere, we need to beat those teams," said coach Kuong Dong.

In its bid to repeat as co-champion of the tough WCAL, St. Francis needs to weather some tough losses of its own. Michelle Watson and Jacqueline Schlemmer, the league's 2004 doubles team of the year, and Andrea Schlemmer, Second Team All League, won't be around to help Bobbie Englert this season. But Englert, last season's co-MVP in the WCAL as a sophomore, alone brings instant credibility to this squad that finished 19-3 overall in 2004.

Mountain View, with ten returning players, looks to improve on its 6-6 record in the lower El Camino Division last season. With experienced singles players and a senior-heavy roster, coach Frank Smyth has high hopes for the upcoming season. "I think we're a contender [for the El Camino title]," said Smyth. "The key is how our doubles teams develop."

E-mail Scott Campbell at sports@mv-voice.com

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